Behind The Golden Eyes
by AnimationGirl
Summary: When a mysterious master enters the valley, Tigress' past catches up with her and she will have to face an adventure that will change her life forever.
1. Prologue

So here is my new story! Don't worry, I have not given up Friends Forever; I am going to update them both!

**To The-Legend-Spyro: Thank you for all your help, advice and support! You are the best! I am looking forward to discuss this chapter with you! **

I know that this chap is short, but come on! It's prologue! The other chapters will be longer! And more exciting! I promise!

Just so you know; I come from Denmark so English isn't my best language. There will probably be some miss-spellings. Forgive me for that.

And maybe you don't get all if this chap; I like secrets that I first will reveal in later chapters.

Thanks for reading my story; please leave a review!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda. Never have and never will.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Prologue **

It was night; people were asleep. Only a hooded stranger was enjoying the darkness. It made his mission a lot easier.

He must admit that he had been lucky; he had gotten here a lot faster than he had expected. He had found a captain that been willing to transport him closer to the valley (of course had the money helped the captain to make the right decision). But now he had to walk the rest of the way.

He sighed deeply. The boat ride had been comfortable; it had given him a chance to rest his tired legs. And it had been easier to please the cub.

He looked inside his brown cloak. She was still sleeping. He took a firmer grip on the blanket that was wrapped around her. The little tiger was the whole reason to why he was there.

He had sacrificed a lot to make her safe. But was she worth it? He briefly wondered about the thought. Had he done the right thing?

He walked through the dark forest. Moonlight was the only form of light. Silent trees were watching his every move, but none of them could reveal him. They were safe.

And that was why he was doing this; to keep her safe.

This mission wasn't going to stop him. He had taken his decision and he could not change it now. Even if he had to sacrifice more. It couldn't stop him. He was too powerful. People respected him. He could build his life up again. He just needed some time.

He could do whatever he wanted. No one could stop him.

A small whimper got his attention. He looked at the cub that was lying safely against his chest, his left arm keeping her there. She must be dreaming.

Could she remember anything? When she grew up would she then have any memories about him and her mother?

A sound of a branch getting broken was nearly screaming in the dead-quiet forest. Or maybe not so dead anymore…

Five dark shapes could be seen as they walked out of the trees' shadows. One glance said that there were three boars and two wolves; all having weapons and all not looking peaceful.

"Show yourself, stranger!" one of the wolves barked.

Pulling the cub closer to himself, he stepped forward and did what they told him to do. Remarkable calmly, he removed his hood.

A face covered with black stripes was revealed in the moonlight. Two golden eyes, burning with anger, were staring at the attackers.

"A tiger!" a boar said, clearly uncomfortably at the thought of fighting the feline.

A wolf glanced suspicious at the tiger. "What are you hiding?" he said, his sword pointing at the place near the tiger's chest where the cub was sleeping, unaware of the dangerous situation.

There was no response. The tiger didn't move at all. He was not going to fail his mission. If they wanted a fight, then he would give them one. A horrifying growl sounded in the forest, when he showed them his anger.

The wolf saw it as a signal to start the fight. He ran forwards, his word ready to take down the mysterious tiger. A big mistake.

In a second, the tiger was gone. Confused by the amazing speed, the wolfed halted in the middle of his movement. His eyes begged his companions for help, before staring blankly into nowhere. His death was brought by the knife that had been stabbed into his back.

The other watched helplessly as the body fell to the ground. A sneer from behind them made them all to freeze. Panic was attacking them; what were they going to do? Those who had been stealing and killing merciless, were now shaking of fear.

The tiger watched the four shivering figures with annoyance. If they just hadn't challenge him… They had chosen their own faith by doing that. He couldn't let them escape. No one must know that he had been here.

He stormed forward, delivering a powerful kick right in the chest of his opponent. The poor boar was sent directly into a tree, knocking him unconscious. The tiger stopped shortly, before turning around, catching the arrow that was flying towards him.

A furious yell came from the wolf that was charging at him, axe swinging in the air. The tiger easily dodged it and with all his strength, he forced the arrow he was holding in his paw into the wolf's heart. The wolf dropped dead without a sound.

Now there were only two boars back. Realizing that there was no way to escape, they were going to do the same as their companions had done; fight until dead.

One of them made his bow ready; another arrow was flying through the air. It missed its target; a nearby tree was hit instead. Praying for the best, the second boar leaped forward until a pain in his leg ended his run. The tiger had taken the fallen wolf's axe, and had swung it into the boar's knee.

Now the boar was lying on the ground, preparing himself for his last moment. He was killed by his own knife. The tiger quickly turned away from the body; he was not wasting time. There was still one more to kill.

"Please, don't…" The boar begged for mercy, but the tiger continued walking slowly against him, his mouth pulled back in a snarl.

The boar tried to use his only weapons, the bow and an arrow, but his whole body was shaking too much. But he already knew that he had lost. This tiger couldn't be killed. This tiger was didn't have a soul. This tiger was a _monster_.

The tiger saw his helpless victim's fear. His eyes were full of it.

"Please don't kill me! I will do everything!"

Soon he laid dead just like the others. Without a word spoken, the tiger left the battle scene. Eyes scanning the area; he found what he was looking for. She was lying behind a bush, exactly where he had hidden her.

The cub was awake now; she was staring at him with big golden eyes. Others on her age would probably have cried if someone left them on the cold ground. But she didn't.

The tiger couldn't remember a single time that he had seen his daughter cry. She actually never showed her feelings. Only when she was angry. In a way she scared her own father. She was only a little cub and she was already behaving like himself. What was she going to be when she grew up?

If she was lucky, she would get her mother beauty. Maybe even her intelligence. Then she would be able to go through her life well.

What would she get from him? His strength? His determination? His temper?

A part of him wanted to see his daughter growing to be a warrior. Just like her parents. The cub's mother was skilled, no doubt about that. But her father was also. He had just proved it with the fight.

A child with two deadly warriors as parents. People could only imagine how dangerous she could be. But the tiger knew better. If he had learned how to control his strength, then his daughter also could do it. She just needed someone to show her.

But it wouldn't be him. It wouldn't be her mother either. None of her parents would be there to guide her. She had to handle herself.

A quit moan came from a half-unconscious boar. Hitting the tree had apparently not been enough for him. The tiger growled; he was wasting too much time here. But he didn't want any witnesses…

He did it quickly. The boar hadn't even felt anything. The tiger looked closely at the body. _She_ couldn't have sent them. They were way too easy to kill. This was just some thieves that have been attacking travellers. If she had hired someone, he would probably been dead right now.

He understood why she was angry at him. Kidnapping her child hadn't exactly calmed her. But the cub was also his. He had the right to take her.

It was amazing how quickly a love could stop. One discussion and she had command him to leave. He had taken their cub with him without her knowing it. The love was gone, killed by anger. But was the love truly gone? Could love and hate exist at the same time?

The cub moved slightly, getting her father's attention. He sighed; he had just _killed_ a living creature in front of a little child. Not exactly the best parent. Another reason to why he was doing this.

He glanced around; searching for any signs of civilization. He should be there soon. The Valley of Peace couldn't be that far away now. He had heard some sailors talking about this village, apparently one of them had lived there as child. The tiger had overheard how to get to the valley and had quickly found the captain to help him.

The Valley of Peace sounded perfect; he wanted a peaceful place to his child to grow up. And a peaceful place meant a place far away from the cub's mother.

That was all he wanted. A safe place where his child could be. Her mother couldn't take care of her. He wouldn't allow that. He had seen how she truly was. No way was he going to let his child stay with her. Then this was better. Letting the child growing up without her parents' influence.

Then there was always the option that he could raise her… No! He had taken his decision. There was no time to think about stuff like that now! Imagine him with a child… No! This was definitely better.

The cub kept staring at him with her golden eyes; like she was trying to ask him something. The tiger looked away, suddenly feeling thankful that his daughter couldn't talk yet. Then he saw it.

The silhouette of what he guessed was the Jade Palace; the first sign of the village. But it was far in the distance; there was still some travel to do. Eyes focused on his goal, he continued forward.

He passed a big, round, gray building. The tiger didn't care about it; he was going to find a nice house where he could lay his daughter outside. That was his plan until he found the doll.

He was nearly stepping on it before he saw it. An old, dirty doll that looked like it had been lying outside in all kinds of weather. The tiger was interested in the toy; not because that there was some kid missing it, but because it belonged to a kid. That meant that there were children living here.

He took a step closer to the gray building. A low fence surrounded it, but the tiger didn't waste time with walking around, trying to find the opening. He simply jumped over it as the easiest thing in the world.

He took a glance around and was about to leave again, but then he spotted the sign. It was hanging near the gate, the old wood covered with big letters.

"_Bao Gu Orphanage" _

An orphanage? It didn't look like a place he would enjoy to grow up in. Actually, it reminded him of a prison with its gray front and the little windows. But maybe it was nicer inside.

With a sigh, he held his daughter out in front of himself. She was only a cub; so little and innocent. She was unaware about the problems that were haunting the world.

An orphanage was better than the risk with laying her in front of a random house. In an orphanage someone would take care of her no matter what. It was there job to help orphans.

It would be better for everyone if she lived here. She would be out of the dangers that were in her parents' world. Her mother wouldn't find her and he would leave her. She could live in peace without them.

He laid her gently doorstop. The cub kept looking him straight through the eyes, like she was trying to make a bond between them. A bond that couldn't be broken.

But it did. The tiger turned around, walking away. Suddenly, he stopped. He glanced back, looking at his daughter. She was lying alone on the cold ground. He felt guilty of leaving her there. A father shouldn't do such a thing. But after all, he had never thought that he would be a good father. A father should protect his child. But that was what he was doing.

His mouth opened; he wanted to say goodbye. But no sound came out. He had never been good with words and she wouldn't understand him anyway. He shook his head and disappeared into the forest.

The little tiger cub just waited for someone to notice her. She didn't know how much of a surprise she would give the caretaker when the sun rose. She didn't know that she would be adopted by Master Shifu and live in the Jade Palace. She didn't know that she would grow up to be Master Tigress, leader of the Furious Five. And she didn't know that one day her forgotten past would find her and give her the biggest adventure of her life.


	2. The Servant And His Master

I am like WOW! Thank you SO much for all the reviews and favorites and alerts… I am jumping of happiness! So now I'll give you a real chapter, not just a prologue.

My next update will be on Friends Forever. Sorry people, but I can't just leave the story there! But after that it will be Behind The Golden Eyes and then Friends Forever and then Behind The Golden Eyes… Okay, I think you get it now!

Sorry for the late update! I only leave a prologue and then I just run off! I am evil! Sorry!

Forgot this last time: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

The story takes place after Kung Fu Panda 2

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Servant And His Master **

Tigress opened her eyes. She had dozed off into her own little world, away from the valley's noises. She blinked a couple of times, before turning her attention back to the goose.

"I am sorry, Mr. Ping. What were you saying?"

Mr. Ping smiled gently back to her. "Oh, I was just asking if you know when Po will be back again."

"They will probably be back already tonight. Don't worry, Mr. Ping. Po will soon be home again."

The goose opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly disappeared when some new customer entered. Tigress waited patiently while he finished his cooking.

"It must also be good news for you, master Tigress. You must be feeling alone in the palace," he said, returning to her table.

"Master Shifu is still there." Tigress thought about her answer and added, "When he is not meditating. But I am doing fine, Mr. Ping. Being alone doesn't bother me."

Mr. Ping gave her an unsure smile. He started picking up empty plates, before glancing back at the tiger. "I have to ask, Master Tigress. How is your injury?"

His eyes were full of caring, but Tigress avoided them. Her body had tensed at the word _injury_. She hated that word. She hated the rumors about it. And she hated her body for being weak.

She didn't regret taken the hit for Po. She would never regret saving him and China. It was her duty and she would gladly do it again.

But the pain had been terrible. Like her entire body had been on fire. But Tigress was a fighter. She hadn't showed her pain. She hadn't allowed her body to show it. She could deal with the pain. Or that was what she had thought.

As soon as they returned to the palace, Master Shifu had decided that it was time for training. She hadn't been able to block a kick from Po, and her secret was revealed when her friends saw her lying on the ground, clutching her side.

Master Shifu had demanded her to see the healer, ignoring her protests. To her fear, the healer had said the hated instruction: _bed rest_. It had been the two longest weeks of her life! She had her pride, so her friends had quickly found out that she didn't want them along when she was in her bed. Uhm, not exactly all of her friends…

Po had blamed himself for her injury. After all, it was him Shen had aimed at. He spent most of his time with her, until Tigress had gotten enough, and asked, as gently as she could, him to leave. The days had been boring without her friends, but it was better than their sympathetic looks.

It was five days since she was allowed to train again. She had been so happy, but of course she only showed calm; she was still Tigress. But the happiness disappeared when the others were sent on a mission. A mission without her.

Master Shifu hadn't _allowed _her, because of her _injury_. She had been furious, but Shifu had been stubborn. She must not join the others, but instead staying home.

Tigress had to admit that she was worried about her friends. She knew that it wasn't a big mission; just some bandits that were ravaging a village. Her friends could easily defeat them, but Tigress wished that she was with them. She was their leader and she didn't like when she couldn't control things.

They had been gone for two days now, mainly because of the distance between the Valley of Peace and the attacked village. But they were coming home tonight and Tigress was looking forward to it.

Master Shifu hadn't been the most social person. After finding inner peace, he spent most of the time meditating in the Dragon Grotto. Tigress never disturbed him; she would only do that if there was big trouble. So she had mostly spent the days alone.

Today she had decided to go a walk in the village, just to get out of the training hall. It had been lunchtime, so it was good opportunity to visit Mr. Ping. But now, she kind of wished that she just had stayed home.

Tigress stood up so suddenly, that Mr. Ping took a few steps back.

"I am fine, Mr. Ping," she said in a low voice. "Please excuse me; I have to get back to training."

With that, she left the noodle shop in a hurry. The old goose stared from where she disappeared, back to the only half empty bowl of noodles.

"But… But…" He sighed and picked up the coins Tigress had left on the table.

* * *

><p>They had gotten many stares at their journey. But he was supposed to get used to it now. People always became scared when they saw him; the mighty gorilla. But that was only until they found out that he was a servant.<p>

They didn't fear his master. They actually nearly adored her. He understood them very well. Who could resist her beauty?

People that never had seen a tiger in their life before had gotten a shock. Stories had told that tigers were merciless killers. But when they saw her, they became confused. There was no way that she could be a killer.

"Mommy, who is that?" A little bunny tugged at his mother's sleeve, while pointing at the strangers. The big gorilla turned to him, making the bunny to hide behind his mother. The gorilla glared angrily at him, before hoisting the suitcase back onto his massive back.

"What are you looking at?" he asked angry, while advancing on the bunny and his mother.

Suddenly, he was pushed away by an elegant figure with ease.

"Oh, don't bother him. He is just my servant. He doesn't really know any manners. I apologize if he scared you."

The tiger had leaned down, so she could look the child in his eyes. The bunny was first scared by the sight of her sharp fangs, but the warm voice and the golden eyes, sparkling of happiness, made him to trust her.

She wasn't the first tiger that he had seen; Master Tigress was also living in the Valley of Peace, just not in the village like him, but in the Jade Palace.

This tiger actually looked a lot like Master Tigress. He was nearly sure that they had the same stripe-pattern, but this mysterious tiger's fur was darker. This tiger looked a lot older then master Tigress. Not as old as Master Shifu, but much older than Master Tigress. Even though this tiger was older, she was still looking young. The bunny simply couldn't decide how old she was.

"Apologize accepted. Is there any way we can help you, Mrs.?" the bunny's mother asked.

"This is the Valley of Peace, isn't it?" the tiger said with a soft voice.

Before the mother could answer, the child asked, excited, "Yes! Are you going to visit the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior? Are you a kung fu master too?"

The tiger chuckled, causing the little bunny to blush. "I guess you can call me that. I have to go now, but thanks for your help."

The tiger started to walk towards the steps that led to the palace. The gorilla walked silently behind her.

When they reached the stairs, they stopped shortly. The gorilla ogled at the stairs before him, stunned by how many there were.

"Well," the tiger encouraged. The giant ape's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Do I have to climb all these with this extra weight, your highness?" the servant said. The tiger merely chuckled and started to climb them. Her training made challenges like this easy, so the many stairs weren't a big problem for her. But it certainly was for the gorilla.

"There's got to be like nine-hundred there," he continued.

"One-thousand and two, just to be precise," the tigress corrected as she grew further and further away from the ape at the bottom of the steps. The ape growled and started his way up the mammoth staircase.

He only made it up ten steps before tripping, smashing his head down first. The huge suitcase forced the air out of him. While struggling to get up, the tiger sent him an impatiently glance.

"I don't have time enough to wait for you. I'll go ahead. Oh, and please don't drop my stuff."

The poor gorilla sighed, while the tiger made her way towards the palace.

* * *

><p>Tigress jumped away, dodging the swinging club's powerful blow. Her opponents gave her no time to think of anything else than how to defeat them. Tigress had to make sure that she didn't trip on the twirling ground, that she didn't get hit by the heavy wood and to figure out how to win this fight.<p>

But somehow, Tigress' thoughts managed to slip away from her concentration. The training hall sounded so empty, when she was the only one training. She remembered all those times she had sneaked down here in the night in her hope of getting even better to kung fu. Unfortunately, her night trips often gave her punishment from Shifu. He had strictly told her that nights were meant for sleep, not training.

That time it hadn't been a problem to be alone. But now I was more difficult. Tigress didn't exactly know how it had happened, but she had changed. Things like being alone had never bothered her before. It had just been some parts of her life. But now it meant something.

Maybe it was because of Po. After he arrived everything had just been different. Different, but in a good way. The panda was a good friend. Tigress had never felt so close with anyone before. But he had left her, just like the others.

Tigress knew that she couldn't blame them; they were just following their master's orders. It was their duty to save China, and Tigress knew that better than anybody. But being left behind just hurt…

WHAM!

A sharp pain came in her left arm, when a club hit her hard. Luckily for her, it was the wooden side, so no metal spikes hit her. Tigress growled, not at the clubs, but at herself. She should have been more focused. She rubbed her arm, making sure that it wasn't a serious injure. It was only a bruise; it hurt, but she could handle it.

Suddenly, the door opened. One glance told Tigress that it wasn't her master or her friends. In a second, Tigress had jumped of the obstacle course and landed in front of the intruder.

"Who are you?" Tigress growled, but didn't attack yet. She took a better look at the stranger and became surprised. It was a tiger! Tigress had never seen another tiger before.

This tiger was also a female. She was older than her; Tigress guessed that she must be around the forty or fifty years. But even though her age, she somehow still seemed young. Maybe it was because her face was showing innocence; an unsure smile and sparkling eyes.

She was wearing a black vest and pants in the same color. A golden and red pattern covered the vest; flowers, dragons and symbols that Tigress couldn't understand.

The tiger bowed to the stunned Tigress. "I apologize if I disturbed anything. I am Master Mei-Hua."

Tigress blinked a couple of times, before bowing back. "I am Master Tigress."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Tigress. I am sorry for my unannounced arrival, but when my travel led me closer to the Valley of Peace than I had expected. Then I realized that it was a good opportunity to visit the Jade Palace."

"You're a friend of Master Shifu?" Tigress asked curiously. She couldn't remember a time where her master had mentioned Master Mei-Hua.

"We have met," she said shortly with a warm voice. "So, Master Tigress, are you all on your own in the palace?"

"The others are on a mission and Master Shifu is meditating. I can get him if you want."

"No, no. I don't want to disturb him. I'll just wait with you, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Do you want me to show you the palace?" Tigress hated to ask; she didn't like being a guide. But honestly, she didn't know what to do with this strange master.

"It would be an honor. I have actually never been in the Jade Palace before, but I have heard a lot about it," Mei-Hua said with a soft smile. "So this is the training hall? Impressive! I have a feeling that you spent most of your time here."

"Kung fu is my life," Tigress said seriously.

"That's something we have in common. You remind me a lot about myself."

Tigress didn't really know an answer to that. Who was this tiger? She didn't feel like she had found out yet. She would wait and see what her master would think about their guest.

Mei-Hua smiled so warmly at her that Tigress had to stare at the ground. "Let's go outside."

She followed obediently. Tigress wondered how she could be a warrior. She just seemed too innocent and nice to be one. But Tigress knew that not all female-warrior was like herself. Viper, for example. She was way more girly than Tigress.

They had only been outside in two minutes, before Tigress heard a panting noise. She turned around, only to see a gorilla finally reaching the top of the stairs. Following her instincts, Tigress immediately leapt at the enemy.

She growled, her fist ready to punch the gorilla all the way down of the stairs, when suddenly… He was gone. Tigress looked around, confused. Where did he go? And… And where was the stairs?! What had just happened?

"I apologize, Master Tigress, but I had to stop you."

Mei-Hua's voice came from behind Tigress. She spun around the see the tiger standing near the gorilla, with a little smile on her face.

"You…" Then Tigress realized it. Master Mei-Hua had somehow stopped her attack by swirling her around, sending her meters the opposite way. But what amazed Tigress most was that she hadn't felt anything. Mei-Hua had been too quick for her. Tigress could feel how her respect for the master grew.

"Master Tigress, I want you to meet my servant Kang. I understand you mistake, but don't worry, he's completely harmless."

Tigress just stared at the gorilla. She had been fighting gorillas before; they were strong and powerful enemies. Seeing one as a servant was just, in lack of a better word, weird. If Mei-Hua had such a servant she must be even more powerful.

She felt kind of sorry for the giant ape; being forced to carry a suitcase all the way to the top of thousand stairs and then being called harmless was not something that could make your day perfect. She understood his angry face.

The gorilla put down the suitcase and stared challenging back.

"Kang." Mei-Hua's voice was melodic, but in the same time threatening.

The servant immediately bowed for Tigress. She was about to bow back, when Mei-Hua suddenly led her away from him. Tigress, who was a little stunned, just followed.

"So, Master Tigress, have you always been living in the palace?" Mei-Hua asked curiously, trying to start a conversation.

"No, I… I grew up on an orphanage. I never knew my parents. Master Shifu heard of me when I was five and I ended up as his student. I have been here since," Tigress said in a low voice. It wasn't hard to tell Mei-Hua the story about her past, though she didn't tell her how awful her life in the orphanage had been.

"I am sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. It is not your fault." Tigress hated when people felt pity for her. The life in the orphanage was a part in her past that just needed to be forgotten.

"I guess you are right. I know how you must have felt; also I grew up without my parents," Mei-Hua said, while staring at the sky.

Tigress looked surprised at her. What was it with tigers being bad parents? Did all tigers just leave their children?

She would have asked the older tiger more about it, but then she heard the sound of voices. And sure enough, soon Tigress' friends came into sight. They were laughing and talking, probably about their finished mission.

"Tigress!" Viper was the first to spot her. The others were already running towards the tiger, ready to greet her. But they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the guests.

"Uhm… Who are you?" Crane asked, looking curiously at the strangers.

"This is…" Tigress was about to present Mei-Hua, when Po interrupted.

"Is that your mother?" he asked excited, happy to see that his friend had found a lost family member. Or that was what he thought. The Furious Five sent him warning glances, making him realize that he was talking about a forbidden subject. They all knew Tigress' past, but they never spoke of it. Tigress didn't allow them to do it.

"Uhm… Sorry… I just… You look a lot like each other! With all the stripes and… I'll just stop talking now," Po said, when Tigress growled at him.

She sighed and tried again. "This is Master Mei-Hua, a friend of Master Shifu."

The older tiger bowed to them. "It's an honor to meet you all."

They bowed back, returning her smile.

"And who is he?" Mantis asked, while pointing at the gorilla.

"This is Kang, my servant."

"You own a monkey?" Po asked awe. But he was answered by a hit by Monkey. He didn't really like Po's sentence. "Ouch! Sorry Monkey! I mean; you own a _big_ monkey? Ouch! Monkey, stop hitting me!"

Tigress shook her head at him. Mei-Hua just smiled at him. And Kang just looked angry as always.

"I see that you are back from your mission. I… Master Mei-Hua!"

"Hello, Master Shifu. It is nice to see you again," the tiger said, bowing to the red panda. He seemed confused; he had just arrived and had obviously not been expecting the guests.

He pulled himself together and bowed back. "I am also glad to see you. Forgive me if I am rude, but why are you here? I hope that there are no problems."

"No, everything is fine. I was just nearby and couldn't resist visiting the palace. I hope that I am welcome here in a couple of days."

"Of course. We will make a room ready for you. Both of you," he corrected after seeing the gorilla.

"We would appreciate that. Thank you."

There was a frustrating silence before Po finally said,

"So… Who wants dinner?"


	3. A Much Hated Training

A/N: Hi everybody!

I am really enjoying writing this story (not that I am enjoying Friends Forever) and I have so many good ideas to use!

And then I have The-Legend-Spyro to pm together about this story! He is always helping me when I run out of inspiration! Thank you! It was actually The-Legend-Spyro that made me to write this story! So everybody who loves this story, remember to thank him! And I will remember to say thanks to The-Legend-Spyro for coming with the Kang VS Chopsticks scene! Again, thank you!

I do not own Kung Fu Panda (Did you really thought that? Silly you!). But I do own my OC's which are Tigress' nameless father (wonder what's happened to him), the wolves and boars bandits (well, they are dead, so you are not going to hear more about them), the little bunny and his mom (you are probably not going hear more about them either), Mei-Hua (yes, you are going to hear a lot about her) and Kang (I own a big monkey!).

**Behind The Golden Eyes, A Much Hated Training **

Tigress glanced around the table. The extra chairs were added so the guests could join the dinner. Mei-Hua was sitting between Shifu and Tigress, a place that Tigress actually was fine with. It was interesting to talk with this tiger and it wasn't often that Tigress met other female-warriors other than herself and Viper.

Kang was sitting alone on the end of the table. Master Shifu had politely found the seat to him, after seeing the giant ape standing uncomfortable behind his master's chair.

Kang looked troubled; handling a fragile spoon with his giant hands wasn't the easiest thing to do. The Jade Palace had already lost two spoons to the hands of the mighty gorilla. Po sent him a sympathetic look, but still couldn't get the smile away from his face. After all, everyone was eating his famous noodles.

"Where are you living, Master Mei-Hua?" Viper asked, giving her one of her warm smiles.

"It's a place called the Dragon City. It has been my home all my life," the tiger said with proudness in her voice.

"The Dragon City?" Mantis smirked. "Sounds like you should be living there, Po. You know, with the Dragon Warrior title and all that."

Tigress ignored him and turned to Mei-Hua. "I have never heard of that city."

"Not many have. But it also lies far away."

"Master Shifu hasn't told us about you," Po managed to say, while having his mouth full of noodles. He flinched under Shifu's glance.

Shifu looked like he was going to apologize to the guest, but relaxed when he heard her chuckle.

"I am also just an old friend of him. Very old. I am guessing that I must have been around my twenty years when I first met you, Master Shifu. My masters had invited Grandmaster Oogway, may he rest in peace, Tai Lung and Master Shifu to a big festival in my city. All the big kung fu masters were there. I honestly haven't seen your master since, so it's nice to be here."

Tigress pondered about this information. So Mei-Hua and Shifu had only met once? No wonder why he had become so surprised when he saw her.

CRACK!

Kang was now sitting with a half spoon in his hand. He glanced helplessly at his master, who gave him a weak sigh.

"Uhm, I'll go get another," Po said, before leaving his chair to help the unlucky gorilla.

"Here we go, but try to hold it gently so it doesn't…"

CRACK!

"…breaks," Po finished his sentence too late. He patted the gorilla friendly on the shoulder.

"If I was you, buddy, I would just drink the soup."

Kang lowered his head in defeat.

"Maybe you should try chopsticks," Mantis suggested, pretty entertained by the whole scene.

Po immediately found some chopsticks and put them on the table in front of Kang. While the other started a conversation again, he was concentrated on getting something to eat. He stared down at the culinary in front of him and then to his hands. He looked back and forth between his large hands and the small tree sticks, before a frown formed on his forehead.

"Right, here it goes," he said to himself, unaware that the whole table had heard him and turned their attention towards him. Kang slowly hovered his hand above a chopstick and tried to pick it up. But his hands only gripped nothing. He growled a little and tried harder, but to no avail. He then growled again and tried to pick it up, not with his hand, but rather with his two front fingers. Again this didn't work, causing his face to become red in frustration.

"Would you like to…" Crane started, but was cut off by Monkeys hands.

"Hush, I want to see this," he said quickly and quietly. Kang was still trying to pick up the chopstick and had now resorted to one finger from each hand pushing diagonally onto it, but again to no avail.

"That's it, it's no use. I'm going to bed. Mistress, may I?" Kang yelled the first part, but then quieted down when asking his master.

"You may go, but be warned; the spoons are the worst to overcome in a fight," Mei-Hua said in a mock worried tone. Kang mumbled something about how the spoons should be larger, before storming out of the kitchen.

Mantis glanced around the table, before blurting out,

"Well, that was funny!"

* * *

><p>"I think that she is nice." Viper said, as the students walked to their sleeping barracks. Shifu and Mei-Hua were still in the kitchen; the students only left them because their master had demanded them to go to bed.<p>

"We all agree on that, but isn't this thing a little weird?" Crane asked, looking at them all.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, isn't it weird that a person that Master Shifu has met one time in his life for like twenty-five years ago, suddenly arrives at the palace?" the bird pointed out.

Po took it with a smile. "You know, if there is something weird about this, then it had to be the fact that Master Shifu has been to a festival!"

"Po! It's not like he never take a day off!" Viper hissed. The boys glanced at her, before breaking into laughter.

"Master Shifu taking a day of? That was a good one, Viper!" Mantis managed to say while laughing like a crazy.

"Wow, that festival must have been long ago. Like before Master Shifu became, you know, Master Shifu!" Monkey chuckled, while brushing a tear away from the corner of his eyes.

Tigress decided that it was time to intervene and sent all the boys her special 'you-better-stop-right-now-glance'. It worked perfectly.

Po coughed, embarrassed, before asking, "So… What were we talking about?"

"Master Mei-Hua," Tigress replied flatly.

"Right! Well, she seems friendly enough."

"Friendly doesn't cover it. The only thing missing is that she has presents to us! Which remind me of; why hasn't she any presents to us!" Mantis flinched at Viper's hiss.

"Grow up!"

"But seriously, guys, can't you see the similarities between her and Tigress? Come on! They are both tigers, they both do kung fu, their stripes are nearly the same and they have the same eye color!" Po said, looking at them all to get support.

"No, we haven't. Her eyes are darker," Tigress said, causing everyone to look surprised at her. Okay, she had noticed details and so what?

"But they are still golden! Honestly, she could be your older twin sister! Uhm, a much older twin sister." The other smiled at Po's weird sentence. Well, Tigress didn't; she didn't really like the subject.

"Are you done?" she sneered, eyes flashing.

Po gulped, but quickly nodded.

"Good. Now go to bed."

Tigress watched satisfied as her friends followed her order. Sometimes it was nice to be the leader. She suddenly remembered that she hadn't asked to their mission yet. She must do that tomorrow.

She entered her room and laid herself on her bed. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she tried to fall asleep. It didn't work.

Ten minutes after trying, she groaned. Tigress gave up and stared blankly at the loft. Her thoughts were swarming around a certain guest. Why has she come and what did she want?

When she finally drifted to sleep, it was over midnight. But even when she was sleeping, Tigress couldn't get peace.

In her dream, two familiar golden eyes kept glaring at her.

* * *

><p>GONG!<p>

"Good morning, Master," the students said in unison. Po was only a second behind the others this morning, which meant that he was getting better. A proud smile spread on his face.

"Morning, students. I will have some individual training today. You are going to get more information about this later," Shifu said, paws behind his back. He glanced at his students; they looked all pretty nervous about the news. Po had a confused face; what was individual training?

Then Tigress noticed the elegant figure behind her master. Mei-Hua made eye contact with her and sent her a smile. Tigress, who was a bit unsure of what to do, gave a little smile back. Viper caught it with her eyes, and was mildly shocked. It was so rarely that Tigress smiled and especially with strangers. Mei-Hua must have some special talent.

"Master Shifu has given me the honor to help you with the training. I am looking forward to see your skills," the older tiger said, glancing friendly at them all.

"But first the usual morning training," Shifu announced. He turned around and left with Mei-Hua. The students soon followed.

"So where do you think your BIG brother are, Monkey?" Mantis smirked, obviously enjoying having something to tease his friend with.

"Ha ha. Very funny," Monkey said sarcastic. "But if my guess is right, then he is in the kitchen, trying to get something to eat."

"Poor guy. I think that I will go down in the village today and buy some stronger spoons. Or maybe some bigger chopsticks. What do you think?" Po asked, having sympathy with the servant. Everyone should be able to taste his noodles.

"You could try cooking something other than noodles," Viper suggested thoughtfully.

The smile disappeared on Po's face and instead there came a frown. "I will buy the chopsticks then." No way was he going to ditch his noodles. "So what do you think this special individual training is?"

"We are probably going to show our skills in front of Master Shifu and Master Mei-Hua," Tigress said in a matter-of-fact-tone. It wasn't the first time that their master had done something like that.

"It can't be harder than master Shifu's usual training." The others sent Po glances that gave him a hint. "What?! Can it?" he asked nervously.

"The purpose of this training is that Master Shifu can see your strengths and weaknesses," Tigress said, without looking at the panda.

"So… What is your weakness, Tigress?" Po blurted out, getting glances of disbelieve. You just don't ask Tigress questions like that. It was like a death-wish.

Luckily for Po, Tigress just walked faster and left her friends staring after her. Po finally spoke after some seconds' silence. "It was too personal, wasn't it?"

"I don't know if we should call it being brave or being an idiot," Crane murmured. The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Tigress destroyed another swinging club. Broken tree and metal flew through the air.<p>

"You better calm down a little, Tigress, or you end up exhausted before Master Shifu is going to see you," Viper said, trying to help her friend. She, along with the Furious Five, had already been in the palace's arena where the training was performed. Po was in there now, doing the best of what he could, and Tigress was the only one missing.

Honestly, she didn't look forward to it. She could handle when Shifu was correcting her, but when Mei-Hua also was there… Tigress always found it humiliating when people criticized her. She couldn't help it; she was a proud person.

Everyone turned their head towards the door, when Po opened it. He looked slightly relieved over that the training was finished.

"So how did it go, buddy?" Mantis asked, jumping on the floor toward his panda friend.

"Well, he's alive, so it couldn't have been that bad," Crane joked, while patting Po on the shoulder.

"You guys don't think that Master Shifu would think that vomiting is a weakness?" Po asked nervous. The other looked disgusted at him. "What?! He forced me to run like forever!"

"I am guessing that I am next." Tigress didn't show her anxious emotions.

"Well yes. How did you… Oh, I get it."

The others followed her with the eyes, as tiger stiffly walked out of the hall. The spring sun was shining through the clouds. Tigress felt a weak wind on her sensitive skin.

Shifu and Mei-Hua was standing in the middle of the arena, waiting for her. Tigress stopped in front of them and bowed.

"Masters."

"Are you ready, Tigress?" Mei-Hua asked with a smile. The younger tiger gave her nod, indeed she was itching to be finished with this. She knew that her master wasn't going to be easy on her.

"Tigress, your task is short and simple; all you have to do is to knock my staff out of my hand," Shifu said calmly, watching her reactions.

The student nearly dropped her jaw. What was her master thinking? That was an impossible task! It was like a part of her master. No way was she going to be able to take it away from him. But she had to do it. She had to obey her master.

Tigress saw Mei-Hua walking away from the middle; she was obviously going to watch. At least Tigress didn't have to worrying about fighting two warriors. What a comfort! Tigress bit her tongue. This was going to be painful.

The student took her fighting stance, waiting for the signal to start. Her master just stood still, the staff in his hand. He looked relaxed, it didn't seem like he was going to fight. Tigress knew he was testing her temper. She growled inside.

In what that seemed forever, Tigress stood like a statue, no moving at all and eyes attached to the goal; the staff. Finally, the red panda gave her a nod.

Tigress immediately gave her first try; she lunched forward towards tree staff. Shifu moved away in a second, causing the tiger to land on all four legs on the ground. She didn't give herself time to catch her breath, but leapt into the air again. She landed in front of her opponent, delivering a powerful kick.

Shifu blocked it, before grabbing the tiger's arm and sending her back to the ground. Tigress jumped back, scolding herself. Her master was untouchable. Tigress' brain searched for any useful strategies. With a sneer, she once again stroke. Shifu blocked it easily and continued that with the next punches and kicks. When he saw his student losing her concentration for a short moment, he made his move.

Without hesitating, he used the staff to hit Tigress hard in the stomach. The tiger flew backwards, landing in front of Mei-Hua. Trying to get up, panting, Tigress managed to sit on her knees. She glanced at her master that was waiting calmly for her to attack. Why did she have the feeling that he was enjoying this?

Suddenly, someone gently grabbed her arm and hoisted her back on feet. Tigress looked up, seeing Mei-Hua's worried face.

"Are you okay?"

Tigress made a weak smile. "I'm fine." She brushed the dust of her clothes and took a deep breath. Shifu was still staring at them. Tigress glanced gratefully at Mei-Hua, before starting the fight again.

* * *

><p>"I hate individual training!" Mantis exclaimed, as the students waited for dinner. The masters had not arrived yet, so the students could talk without them listening.<p>

"Who doesn't? My wings feel like they are going to fall off!" Crane complained, stretching his wings out so everyone could see what he meant.

"At least you didn't throw up," Monkey grinned, referring to Po's experience. The panda held his hands defensive up in front of himself.

"Hey, stop the vomiting jokes."

"He is right, boys. I doubt that any of us was perfect in our training," Viper said honestly. The boys nodded, but all glanced at Tigress. She hadn't said a word about her training, but the dark expression on her face said enough.

Suddenly Mantis spoke, "It was kind of weird with her watching."

"Who? Master Mei-Hua?" Viper asked.

"No, the mysterious, creepy, old goat-lady that keeps following me! Of course I mean Master Mei-Hua!" Mantis replied irritated.

"It wasn't that bad. She didn't really do anything. She just watched. Oh, hi Kang!" Viper greeted the gorilla that just entered the kitchen. The giant ape murmured something, before sitting down heavily on the chair.

"So what have you been doing today?" Po asked friendly. The gorilla sent him a glance, grunted and shrugged. "Uhm… Well, that sounds funny," Po said, unsure, not knowing how to handle the gorilla's silent treatment.

"So I found some giant chopsticks! I am sure that you can taste my noodles tonight," Po said enthusiastically. Then Master Shifu and Master Mei-Hua walked inside. The students glared anxiously at them; was there going to be more training?

Shifu cleared his throat, before saying, "Students! As a reward after the individual training today, you will get tomorrow as day off."

A cheering murmur broke out among the students. "So no running? No kicking? No hitting? No…"

"Yes, Dragon Warrior. I believe that the point with a day off is that there is no training for you," Shifu said, sighing at the hyper panda.

"Oh, this is going to be awesome! I will go visiting my dad! We can all eat dinner at him and…"

"I am sure that you can discuss your plans after dinner. Right now, we are all waiting for dinner."

"Yes, of course, Master Shifu. Just a minute…" Po started to find bowls and spoons.

Tigress suddenly turned around to see Mei-Hua standing behind her. "Master Tigress, I was thinking about of you could give me the honor and show me the valley tomorrow. Of course I understand if you rather would want to spend the time with your friends."

"No! I mean… I… Yes, I would like to show you the valley." Tigress tried to find the right words. She hadn't expected such a question. She really wanted to know this master better. The tigers smiled at each other, before Mei-Hua spoke, "Then I will look forward to tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Kang tried his best to walk soundlessly. Even after his dinner (the big chopsticks actually helped), his stomach was rumbling. Now he was trying to get to the kitchen, hopefully finding some leftovers. But when he entered the kitchen, he got a surprise.<p>

A panda was standing in the middle of the room with a jar of cookies. Po widened his eyes when he saw the intruder, but relaxed quickly.

"Oh, it's you, Kang! I thought it was Monkey. Please don't tell him that I am here. So… What are you doing here?" Po managed to say with his mouth full of cookies.

The gorilla stared dumbstruck at him.

"Ah… You want Monkey's cookies too, eh? Here you go, buddy." Po handed him a one of the almond cookies. Kang stared at him in disbelieve; why was the panda giving him food?

"Come on! You know you want it!" Po grinned. Finally, Kang slowly reached out to take the precious cake. He stood for a moment just staring at the cookie in his hand. He glanced up to the nodding panda, before taking a little bite.

"So… How is it?" The gorilla's frown disappeared, when the almond cookie's taste filled his mouth. Instead, a little smile spread across his face.

Po smiled back, glad to see that the servant liked the forbidden food. He stuffed a couple of cookies into his mouth, while watching the gorilla eating his slowly. Kang was clearly enjoying his meal.

Then, a familiar, but right now pretty unwelcome voice, could be heard.

"Po?"

"Oh no! It's Monkey! We better hide!" the panda whispered hysterical. He immediately searched for a place to hide the jar; a sack of flour became its hiding place. Then Po took his flight and ran out of the kitchen, forgetting the stunned gorilla.

Kang starred at the place where the panda had disappeared. Unsure of what to do (he didn't really understand the situation), he just stood still.

"Po? Master Shifu says that we shall go to bed now. Po…" When Monkey entered the kitchen, he gasped in horror. In front of him, was the big gorilla looking confused at him, with a half-eaten cookie in his hand and crumbs around his mouth.

Monkey's yell could be heard in the entire palace.

"MY COOKIES!"

* * *

><p>Tigress stabbed the tree with her eyes like it was the one that caused her all the problems. Once again she stroked the iron tree with her paw, only to find out that nothing had changed. She still didn't feel anything.<p>

A frustrated growl escaped from her throat. She had managed twenty years training. She had managed to make her paws numb. But she had not managed to complete the individual training.

She hadn't even been able to touch the staff. Except for the times were Shifu had hit her with it. She could have used her injury as an excuse. She could have begged Shifu to stop. She could have refused. But she hadn't.

She had failed. She hated to admit that, but there was no way around it. A little voice inside of her reminded her of that her friends also hadn't managed the hated training. But Tigress was always trying to be the best. And when she felt that she was a failure, she usually hit things.

That was why she now she making her knuckles to bleed by hitting the iron trees. She let out a furious roar and stroke again. And again. And again.

The moon was shining on the dark sky above her, revealing that she should be sleeping. She had sneaked out of the palace when everyone had calmed down (Monkey had been furious and had first forgiven Kang when Mei-Hua had apologized for her servant behavior and made the promise that it wouldn't happen again) and had went to sleep.

But Tigress was unaware of that was others than her that was awake. Two golden eyes had been watching her in long time. Tigress finally sensed that she wasn't alone and turned around to see Mei-Hua walking towards her.

Tigress immediately bowed for the older tiger master, who looked at her with worry painted in her face.

"Master Tigress, what are you doing out her?"

The younger tiger's eyes stared at the ground, unsure of what to say. Some part of her didn't allow her to show her emotions, but another part wanted her to trust the master. Mei-Hua didn't push her, she just waited patiently. After some time Tigress made her choice. She sat down by a nearby rock, looking into the forest.

"Why couldn't I get the staff? What did I do wrong?" she asked quietly.

Mei-Hua sighed, before sitting down next to her. "Tigress, may I call you that? You are strong, brave, powerful and a true warrior. You are doing kung fu with honor. I have never seen such a talented student. That task today was very difficult and I doubt that any of your friends would be able to complete it."

"But why couldn't I?"

"What I saw at today's training was that you think before you act. You shouldn't do that." Tigress shook her head in confusion. She had learned kung fu in twenty years, why shouldn't she use her knowledge?

"What I mean is that kung fu is a lot more than strategies. They can't always help you in a fight, as you learned today. You don't have to think when you are doing kung fu. You just have to feel it. You must be one with the spirit of kung fu. It is not as hard as it sounds. Believe me. And as you told me yesterday; kung fu is your life."

Tigress let the words be burned into her brain. She would never allow herself to forget this advice. She thought about Po. He hadn't got years of training, but he had managed to save China twice. Maybe that was the thing Mei-Hua was talking about.

"Feel it?" she asked, suddenly looking at her paws.

Mei-Hua stood up and laid a comforting paw on her shoulder. "Yes, Tigress. Don't worry, I know that you one day will be able to do it. And who knows; maybe that day will come before we know it. But now I will go to bed. And I will ask you to do the same soon. After all, I don't want you to be sleepy tomorrow."

"I will go back soon. Goodnight, Master Mei-Hua." Tigress bowed to her. "And thank you."

The tiger smiled at her. "You are very welcome. I'll see you tomorrow, Tigress." Then she turned around and walked back to the palace. Tigress followed her with the eyes until she disappeared.

She thought about the master's word for a time, before she went back to her bed. A satisfied smile spread across her face. She had a plan of what to do tomorrow.


	4. The Unexpected

A/N: Hi everybody! *Getting weird glances from everyone" Yeah, I know. *coughing embarrassed* I couldn't resist. I have to write one more chapter to this story. I promise that Friends Forever will be next. I just think that I need to make this story exciting for you! So this chapter will make you gasp in shock! Okay, maybe not, but there is a dilemma.

Oh, and I will recommend you to read my other story "Friends Forever" (I know that many of you already have read it, but…). And a warning for all those who will start and read it now: the first ten chapters are short and full of misspellings (I was new at fanfics), but from ch 11 I think that they are fine.

Last thing: thanks for all the reviews! With all my heart; thank you!

Last last thing (can you say such a thing? Hmm…): My "H"key doesn't work that well, so if there is some places were H is missing, please just ignore it. Stupid keyboard!

I don't own Kung Fu Panda, only the OC's.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Unexpected **

Tigress lay awake long time before the morning gong. There were too many thoughts in her head. She wished that she just could reach out with her paw, grab a thought and hold it there.

She knew what she had to do today. It wouldn't be easy, and maybe she would fail. But she had to give it a try. She didn't want to be a coward. If there was something that Tigress didn't have any respect for, then it was cowards.

Most of the thoughts were once again about Mei-Hua. Tigress admired her. She had never seen such a master like her. Oogway and Shifu were incredible masters, but Mei-Hua was different. Not only the fact that she also was a tiger, but that she was even better to Kung Fu than Tigress. And Tigress looked up to her. She wanted to show her that she could be able to 'feel' the Kung Fu. She wanted to make her proud.

As long as she could remember, Tigress had always tried to make someone proud. It must have started in the awful days in the orphanage. The constant fear of doing something wrong, that she couldn't control herself, that people would call her a monster. And the guilt, the merciless guilt that had killed her inside when it had went wrong for her.

And then when Master Shifu came and taught her that she could be someone else than the monster from Bao Gu. He had showed her Kung Fu. He had given her a new life. And she owed him for that. She wished that she could make him proud, but she always failed. She just couldn't live up to him.

It didn't become better when Po was chosen as the Dragon Warrior. The title that her friends had thought belonged to her. But it didn't. It belonged to a panda that fell down from the sky. Tigress wasn't mad at him. He had proven himself worthy to be the Dragon Warrior.

Tigress was afraid of getting weaker. She couldn't help but compare herself with Po. He defeated Tai Lung and Shen. She got beaten by the snow leopard and had to stay in bed for weeks because she got shot by the peacock's canon. Tigress didn't like to think about how this would end if she continued that way.

She could sense that it was morning now. It couldn't be long before…

GONG!

"Good morning, Masters." Tigress smiled at herself; she was the only one provident enough to greet both masters. The others just said their usually 'Master'.

"Morning, students. Uhm… Enjoy your day off," Shifu said, before moving quickly away when the students rushed out of the barracks to start their day. However, one remained standing.

Tigress walked beside the older tiger, which was waiting for her. "Master Mei-Hua, can we wait a little before we go down in the village? There is something I need to do."

The master chuckled slightly. "I think I know what it is. Don't worry, I have nothing against waiting."

Tigress gave her a grateful smile, then took a deep breath. Master Shifu was already walking out at the way his students had taken, but turned around when he heard Tigress' call.

"Master Shifu! I ask you to do me a favor."

The red panda looked surprised at his student. Sure, he knew that she was going to spend her day with Master Mei-Hua, not that he had anything against that. But what would she with him now?

"What is it, Tigress?"

"I want to have one more try to complete my individual training."

Shifu stared at her. In all his life he had never seen such a stubborn student. All her thoughts were about kung fu, and she couldn't live a day without it. But doing one of the hardest and most painful training on her day off was too much.

"Tigress, the individual training was yesterday."

"I know, but I only ask for one try. If I fail, then I will not try again. Just one try, master."

Shifu sighed and rubbed his neck. He knew that she wouldn't give up. Sometimes it could worry him that she behaved like this. She wasn't like the other students on that way. It was like she had given her life to Kung Fu. Maybe he could just refuse and then she would forget about it. But one try couldn't hurt that much…

"Fine, one try. But I am expecting to see improvement."

"Thank you, Master," Tigress said and bowed for him. She could do this. She just had to believe and… And to feel.

She and Mei-Hua followed Shifu to the palace arena. Once again Shifu was standing in the middle and Mei-Hua was in the corner. She smiled encouragingly to Tigress. The younger tiger gave a nod back and she could see how the master formed the sentence with her mouth,

"Feel it."

Taking her battle stance, Tigress was getting herself ready. No failing this time. Searching deep inside herself, she found what she needed. Her love to Kung Fu. It had saved her life and she didn't know what she had become without it. It was this love that had made her able to manage twenty years training. She had managed it because she wanted it. She wanted to be even better to kung fu. She wanted to be the best. And it was this love that could make her better.

A warm feeling spread through her body and an incredible calm filed her. She closed her eyes and listened to her heartbeat. She knew that she could do this. She just had to try.

"Begin."

Tigress opened her eyes in a flash and leaped forward. Dodging her master's strike, she ran behind, trying to kick his leg. He jumped over her spinning foot and made a powerful hit towards her stomach. Tigress grabbed his little paw and swung him above her shoulder.

He landed on the ground and backed away just in time to dodge Tigress' next attack. The warm feeling had taken her body and was now controlling her every move. Laughter nearly escaped her throat; it felt so great. Shifu couldn't win now.

Shifu blocked all the kick and hit, but felt how he was pushed backwards by a particularly strong stroke. Before he knew it ad Tigress jumped high into the air. He quickly moved away from the spot were Tigress was about to land; the result was that she landed just in front of him. She didn't give him time to think, but kicked towards his leg.

He jumped to avoid, but Tigress paw nearly hit him when he was in the air. He tapped her paw hardly with the staff. She hissed by the sharp pain, but didn't let it destroy her concentration. When he landed, she made her final moves.

Tigress tried to hit his arm, but he blocked it with his staff. Exactly as Tigress had hoped. She grabbed the staff with one paw and swung it around. Shifu didn't let go, but suddenly she had both paws on her goal. Before Shifu could react, she kicked him in the abdomen. He flew backwards, before landing hard on the ground. When he stood up again, he realized that he wasn't holding his staff.

Tigress was standing with it in her paws, looking at it like she just had seen it for the first time. A proud smile shined on her face. She had done it. She had felt it.

"Nicely done, Tigress."

She looked at her master that now was bowing for her. She bowed back, before giving him the staff back. Shifu examined it, looking for any damage in the old wood.

"Thank you, Master. If you don't mind, I will go with Master Mei-Hua now."

The red panda glanced surprised at his student that now was leaving with that other tiger, spine erect and head high.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I just did it!" Tigress exclaimed as the two tigers walked down the many stairs. "Thank you, Master Mei-Hua. I couldn't have done it without your advice."<p>

Tigress smiled at her, for the first time in really long time she felt actually happy. She had proven herself worthy for her master and now the smile couldn't be erased from her striped face. She remembered the same happiness when she was a kid, the proudness that came she had destroyed a wooden opponent. But the happiness had always disappeared when her master ad corrected her, showing that she could have done it better.

But this tiger master didn't correct her; she took part in the joy.

"I told you that you could do it. I must say that you have impressed me. That fight was incredible," Mei-Hua said to the proud tiger.

"So what do you want to see?" Tigress asked her; suddenly she remembered that she actually should show this master the valley, not just talking with her.

"Well, I have already seen the palace and I explored the ironwoods last night, if you remember. But I want see more about the village and gladly more than that." Mei-Hua looked at the sky for a moment, as if she wanted to explore it. Then she looked back at the younger tiger who was glancing at her with a shy look in the eyes.

Then they heard a sound and they turned around to see Kang coming stumbling down the stairs toward them. The tigers moved to each side, when the gorilla landed face first on the ground between them. Tigress stared at him in mild shock.

"He is not good at stairs," Mei-Hua said, shaking her head in despair. Kang quickly got up at the tigers' glances, and walked some steps backward to have a polite distance between him and the Kung Fu masters.

Tigress glanced questioningly at Mei-Hua. She caught her glance and whispered to her, "He is used to be near me. I will try to fix it so we can get some time in peace."

Tigress nodded. She didn't exactly enjoy having a gorilla walking behind her all time. But maybe it wasn't a good idea to leave the servant in the palace. Just try to imagine how many things he could break. But Mei-Hua probably had a plan of what to do with her servant.

They walked in silence until they reached the bottom of the stairs. It was a busy day in the village and there were people everywhere. But the weather was also really good today; no clouds on the sky, but not burning summer hot. Children were running around, playing different games. A group of little girl-bunnies spotted the two tigers and Tigress could hear them whispering excited,

"It's Master Tigress!"

"But who are the other one?"

"I don't know, but she is pretty!"

"Do you think that this is the lady Fai talked about? The lady that saved him from the gorilla?"

"You could ask her!"

"I don't dare that!"

Tigress glanced at Mei-Hua and the tiger's face expressed that she too had heard the girls' conversation. Tigress shook her head of herself; of course the master had heard that; tigers had good ears.

"Stay here. I am going to handle this," Mei-Hua whispered into the stunned Tigress' ear. She did what the older tiger wanted and didn't move. Mei-Hua walked towards the girls with Kang following behind her. The kids immediately stopped their whispering. They froze and looked with big eyes at the tiger.

"Hello girls. I am Master Mei-Hua, a visitor at the Jade Palace. I see that you are having fun in the good weather."

The girls smiled at the friendly tiger with the warm voice. One of the bravest of them stepped forward.

"Yeah, we are playing with makeup." The other showed her their tools to beauty. "Do you want to play with us?"

Mei-Hua chuckled. "I am sorry girls, but I am a bit busy. But I know someone who can play with you."

Tigress could feel how her body flinched. Mei-Hua couldn't mean her, could she? Kids were fine and sometimes cute, but makeup was absolutely not her thing! Tigress remembered the times where Viper had tried to convince her to wear it, but the snake had always got a refuse.

"Kang, could you please come over here."

Tigress could imagine how all the color disappeared from the gorilla's black-furred face. He slowly walked over to his master and the girls; fearing the worst.

"Girls, this is my servant, Kang. Don't worry, he is completely harmless and he just _loves_ to play. Can he join you?"

The girls looked at each other, before giving her the clear answer, "Yes!"

They started to drag the poor gorilla away. "Don't worry; you are going to be pretty!"

Tigress managed to see the servant's terrified face, then he was out of sight together with the bunnies.

The older tiger chuckled slightly as she walked over to her. "Believe me; he is going to have some fun."

"And the kids?" Tigress asked a little nervous; what if the gorilla accidently hurt the girls?

"There is no problem with that; my servant loves children."

Tigress nodded a little absent, but she was sure that the Mei-Hua knew her servant better than her. They continued their walk through the valley, Tigress telling about its history.

When they were finally done, it was over noon. Tigress had showed the older tiger the most of the valley; the places they were missing were too far away. Now they were walking back to the palace to get some dinner.

"Thank you, Tigress, for showing me all this. I am very grateful," Mei-Hua said as they walked.

Tigress didn't forget her manners. "It was an honor, Master Mei-Hua."

In long time they walked in silence. Tigress glanced at the other tiger; she looked like she was in big thoughts. A little frown shaded her face. Tigress wondered if she was trying to decide something. Though, she didn't ask; she wouldn't be rude.

Finally Mei-Hua spoke; "Tigress, I have to admit that I haven't been completely honest with you."

The younger tiger looked surprised at the master. She hadn't thought that Mei-Hua would be the type of person that lied.

The master sighed, before continuing her confession, "It wasn't just a coincidence that I came here. The trip that I have been on was actually a search. A search for a student, Tigress."

She looked the shocked Tigress in the eyes. She just hadn't expected what the master what saying. Suddenly, she felt like her stomach was a heavy ice cube. She had a feeling that she never had felt before and she didn't really understand it.

"You see, Tigress, I have never had a student before. I am not exactly so young anymore and I want to give my knowledge to someone I can trust. I have been looking for one in a while, but I haven't found one who has the skills I seek. But you, Tigress, you have a talent that I have never seen before. I know that you are Master Shifu's student, but… But I think that you can be more than you are now. Maybe you didn't become the Dragon Warrior, but that doesn't mean that you can't be something more important than you already are."

Tigress nearly had to force the air down to her lungs. It was like she had forgotten to breathe when she heard the things Mei-Hua said about her. But was it really true? Did Mei-Hua really want her as a student?

"Of course I know that you can't just leave your master and friends, but… Tigress, do you want to be my student?"

Tigress couldn't find her voice. What could she say? The master that she respected so much, the master that had helped her and had made her smile. The master that now was asking her to be her student. But… But Master Shifu. She was his student. The Jade Palace was her home. Her friends were here. But she wanted to say yes. Even though she hated herself for it, she wanted to be this master's student.

"Yes, but as you said; Master Shifu is my master and this is my home," she answered with a little voice.

"I clearly understand that, but I am happy to hear that you are interested. I can try and talk with Master Shifu. I am sure that he would understand."

"Don't be so sure on that," Tigress murmured. She didn't think that her master would be so glad to hear about this.

"Maybe we could try for a short period. I am sure that he would allow that. A student always has the choice about how she will have her future. I remember my youth; I had many masters and often shifted between them. I did what I thought could help my training. And I think that it has gone well for me. But as I said; the choice is yours," Mei-Hua said with a warm voice.

"I think that you can teach me more than he…" Tigress shook her head. She couldn't just say something bad about her master. It was just wrong. Tigress hoped that she soon could find a way out of this situation.

"I will let you think about this, Tigress. Just talk to me when you have made your choice. I am sure that we can find out something," Mei-Hua said, giving the torn student a comforting smile. "I think that you should find your friends. Weren't they talking about being in the village? I just don't want you to feel pressed, Tigress. It's your choice and I understand if you change your mind. Enough about this; I will go back to the palace. I'll see you later, Tigress. And again; thanks for showing me all this."

Tigress bowed to her again and the master bowed back. After some seconds looking each other in the eyes, Mei-Hua walked towards the palace that was visible in the horizon. Tigress walked towards the village, that wasn't too far away.

One question was haunting her mind; what had just happened?

Had she just agreed to leave her master? Had she chosen a master that she only had known in some few days? But she felt like she had known her in longer time. She trusted this master, and she was so different than master Shifu. Tigress was sure that Mei-Hua could be strict too, but maybe not like Shifu.

She remembered the long nights where she ad sitting alone in her room, forcing back the tears and wondering why she wasn't good enough for him. Why he wasn't proud of her. She had never blamed him, but instead herself. But now it had changed.

Now she was considering a new master. And she felt horrible. She wasn't _supposed _to think like that. A student should honor her master. But… But was Mei-Hua right when she was saying that she could choose her own master? Could she really do that?

The thought was enticing. The few days she had known Master Mei-Hua her respect had grown for this tiger master. She had helped her and, unlike Shifu, showed her emotions and had joined Tigress in her happiness. Tigress was sure that she could learn a lot from her.

"Hi Tigress!"

The tiger turned towards the voice, which happened to belong to Po. She must have walked into the noodle shop without noticing. Her thoughts must have gotten all her attention. Well, at least she had ended where she wanted.

"Hi," she said, glancing at them all. They were obviously finished eating; maybe they had been helping Mr. Ping?

"So how was the trip with Master Mei-Hua?" Viper asked, slithering closer to her friend.

"It was fine. I showed her the most of the valley." Tigress just couldn't tell them about the whole student-thing. Maybe later, but now she was trying to clear her own thoughts. And after all; what would they say when they found out that she was considering leaving them?

"It must have been a long trip if you have walked until now. No wonder why Master Mei-Hua wants to stop now," Crane said.

"Well, before the trip I was actually taking the individually training again." As soon as she had said it, Tigress wished that she had bitten her tongue of. Her friends would not understand…

"You did what?!" Everybody was staring at her like she had grown an extra head.

"You use your day off, a day that we haven't got in like forever, on training?" Po's eyes were full of disbelieve. "Seriously Tigress, you need to have a life sometimes."

The silence lay dangerously in the air, like the calm before the storm. Tigress was now showing him all of her sharp fangs, her eyes glowing of anger. How dared he say that? Did he know why she did what she did? No! He didn't understand her. Just like the rest of the world, only except one certain master….

"Let me tell you something, Dragon Warrior. Kung Fu is my life. And if I was you, I wouldn't forget it," she growled, causing the panda to take some steps backwards.

"Tigress! Calm down! He didn't say that you should stop kung fu, only that you should rest sometimes. It can't be healthy training all time," Viper said, defending her panda friend. The other nodded in agreement; they have all seen Tigress train to her paws was bleeding and her bones shattered.

"It's not your job to worry about me, so don't. I can handle myself." Tigress turned around to leave. She knew she was being unfair, but right now she was just irritated. Too many thoughts in her head.

"Tigress." She heard Po say her name, but didn't respond. She weakly expected that they would try to stop her, take her by the shoulder and hold her back, but they didn't. She knew that it was her own fault. She scared people with her temper, she had always done that. Maybe it was her talent; to make people avoid her.

She comforted herself with the fact that Mei-Hua just had asked her to be her student. It warmed her depressed soul that she hadn't scared her away. Yet…

No! She would make her proud of her! And maybe she could successes this time. Mei-Hua had said something that Shifu had never said; that she had impressed her.

Then it hit her. Why it was that she was trusting Mei-Hua. Why she so deeply wanted her to be proud of her. Why she now wanted her as her master.

She thought back to the lonely days in the orphanage, where she only had wished one thing; a family. And now, so many years after, a tiger comes. Not only that she was a tiger, but that she cared about her and always smiled when she saw her; those were some of those things that made Tigress to think of her as a family. As a mother.

Once again, Tigress shook her head of herself. She was an orphan and she must not forget that. Mei-Hua could be her master, but never her mother. And deep inside, was Mei-Hua as her master good enough.

She was tired of no one that understood her. She was tired of never getting any praise. She was tired of not being good enough.

Maybe, she could try and leave the Jade Palace. Maybe only for some months, like Mei-Hua had said. Then Shifu would understand what he had done wrong. When she wasn't there anymore, maybe he would miss her. And maybe when she would come back, he would say that he was sorry. That he was sorry for everything.

Tigress knew that it was only childish dreams. Some selfish wishes. But still, she had the chance to make them come true. At least one of them.

She couldn't even remember climbing the stairs. She had done so many times in the twenty years that she had been in the palace, that it just had become a routine.

She found Master Mei-Hua under the Sacred Peach Tree, meditating. Tigress slowly walked closer, not wanting to wake the master from her thoughts. But suddenly the older tiger opened one of her eyes and her mouth formed a smile.

"Yes, Tigress?"

The younger tiger clenched her paws. She couldn't feel how her claws dug into the skin of her paws, but she could smell the blood. But she simply ignored it.

"I have taken my decision." Tigress took one more deep breath. "Can you please talk with Master Shifu? I am sure that you can explain the situation better than I can."

"Of course, Tigress. I will go and find him now." Mei-Hua rose from her position. She placed her paw on Tigress' shoulder. "I am honored that such a talented tiger wants to be my student."

Then she walked towards the palace to find the red panda master. Tigress watched her go, with the feeling that she had done something wrong. And a question repeated in her brain.

"What have I just done?"

* * *

><p>AN again: So that was chapter 4, peoples! Hope you liked it! So many questions, huh?

_Will Tigress leave the Jade Palace? _

_How will her friends react on her decision? _

_Will Kang survive playing with the girls? _

_Why do I keep asking questions? _

Find out in the next chapter (that will come after Friends Forever)!


	5. Blame

A/N: Look who is here! Me! *silence* Uhm… With a new chapter! *cheers*

Thank for all the reviews! This story is actually going well! Wow, my prayers were heard!

So, here is what you all have been waiting for… Chapter 5!

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Blame **

You know the feeling you have when someone you care about is in the hospital and you are waiting on getting to know how the person is doing?

Well, Tigress was having that feeling now. Not that any of her friends were sick or in life-threatening danger. The thing that was making her so nervous, was simply that Mei-Hua was inside in the palace right now, talking with Master Shifu.

How would he react? Would he be mad? Would he be hurt? Would he be disappointed?

Tigress would soon find out. Her friends were still in the village, so she was sitting alone in the last afternoon sun. It was a weird thought that she maybe should leave all this. She knew this palace better than anybody thought. Every corner was familiar to her. Was she even able to leave it?

The sound of footsteps told her that she had other things to think about now. The warm feeling that she got in her stomach every time she saw Master Mei-Hua, was back when she glanced at the tiger master that was walking towards her.

Had Shifu refused or had he allowed her to choose Mei-Hua as her master? Though, the smile on the older tiger calmed Tigress. She was sure that the master wouldn't smile if she just had lost a future student.

"Master Shifu wants to talk with you." Then she saw Tigress' asking eyes. "Our conversation went very well, so if you have changed your mind, you have to say it now. Master Shifu just wants to have a private word with you, and then I will talk with him again to about some practical information."

She chuckled slightly. "I am glad to finally have a student. If you still want me as your master, of course."

"I will, Master Mei-Hua." Tigress couldn't help but smile at the word master. But then she realized that she still was going to talk what Shifu. Something told her that it wasn't going to be a nice talk.

The master smiled back to her. "I am honored. We will talk more about this later, but Master Shifu wants to see you. He is waiting for you in the kitchen."

With heavy steps, Tigress started to walk towards the palace. She was not looking forward to face her master. What could she say to him? The hope about that he would miss her when she was gone, helped her a little. Shifu had to face the truth that he had hurt with his strict behaving. He had to realize it when she left the palace. He just had to.

When she stood before the entrance to the kitchen, she hesitated. She couldn't be a coward now! She had taken a choice and she was going to stand by it. She entered the kitchen, bowing to the red panda master.

"Master Shifu."

"Tigress," he greeted her. Shifu pointed at the chair that was placed so they could look at each other's faces. "Sit down."

The tiger did as she was told. She glanced down at the table, avoiding her master's eyes. There was some awkward silence before Shifu started the conversation.

"Master Mei-Hua told me that you have been thinking about following her to the Dragon City. Is that correct?"

Tigress still didn't look at him. "Yes, Master," she replied quietly.

Shifu sighed. "I must say, Tigress, that I have been expecting a situation like this."

The student finally glared at him with big eyes. He had expected this? What; was he now getting visions like Grandmaster Oogway?

"You have always sought to be better, Tigress. And maybe I have taught you all what I know." He rubbed his neck. "I am fully aware of the fact that Master Mei-Hua is very talented and she can teach you much."

Tigress' throat felt dry. She had expecting him to be furious, but he was perfectly calm. Though, she thought that he looked a little sad. Did her eyes lie to her?

"I want the best for my students, Tigress. As a master it's my biggest wish. And if you want to go with Master Mei-Hua, I will not stop you." The master looked at his student. She seemed stunned. Not that he could blame her for that.

When Tigress finally found her words, she spoke, "I owe you much, Master Shifu. You have been helping me to find the path I want to walk. You have taught me kung fu. But I…" She trailed of.

"Don't think that I haven't noticed how you have improved while Master Mei-Hua has been here?" Shifu pointed out. "She was also suggesting that you could try to have her as your master for a couple of months for a start."

"Yes, she mentioned that for me. I think that it could be a good opportunity for me to try something… new." Tigress could have bit her tongue of. Why couldn't she just find the words that explained what she felt?

"Tigress, do you want to go with her?" Shifu said, looking straight into the tiger's eyes.

The student didn't even as much as blink. "Yes, Master Shifu."

"Then please get Master Mei-Hua so we can plan your travel."

Shifu glanced at Tigress as she bowed to him and disappeared to find her new master. He sighed heavily. He had just lost her as a student. He had allowed her to leave the Jade Palace. But what could he do? Telling her to stay and make her to hate him? Tigress had the right to change master and if it was what she wanted, then he couldn't stop her. He just hoped that he and Tigress had taken the right decision.

* * *

><p>"You must know, Tigress, that you are going to get some hard work. I am sure that my training won't be the easiest thing. And you are probably going to have some lessons about our city's history. It can be important to your training."<p>

Tigress just nodded; she would say yes to everything her new master said right now. Her brain was still amazed over the fact that Mei-Hua _was_ going to be her master. She _was _going to leave the palace. Shifu had actually allowed her. It was like she was walking in a dream. She just couldn't really believe it.

"When are we going to leave?" Tigress asked the older feline.

"Probably already tomorrow. I know that it's early, but I think that we should leave as soon as possible."

The student was shocked. Okay, she was going to leave, but already tomorrow? That was… unexpected. Though, she really wanted to see the Dragon City. Her new home.

She nodded once again. What could she say?

"I am looking forward to show it all to you, Tigress. You are going to meet many important persons. And as soon as we arrive, I will get your room ready for you. I am sure that you are going to like it. And I will present you for my masters. You are going to impress them just as much as you have impressed me." Mei-Hua smiled warmly to her. She seemed to sense that her student was a bit absent.

"I will go and talk with Master Shifu now. It is not some important things we need to discuss, so you can just stay here. I will be back soon. And then we will start packing."

"Yes, Master Mei-Hua," Tigress said, bowing to the leaving master. She watched her until she was out of sight.

"Packing?"

Tigress immediately turned around. Her friends were standing with faces that expressed disbelieve.

She really didn't want to talk with them right now. "Hi guys," she said with a tired voice.

"So what's this about packing? Are you going on a new trip with Master Mei-Hua?" Mantis asked from Monkey's shoulder. They were all staring at her, making Tigress quite nervous.

"Sort of…" She didn't know what to say. She couldn't just say that she was going to leave them. They were going to hate her.

Of course Po couldn't be quiet. "Where are you going?" Also he was looking at her with big eyes. Tigress avoided them.

Tigress tried to find the words, but it felt like they were hiding from her. Why couldn't they just help her when she really needed them?

Her friends saw her silence as a sign of something was wrong. Viper slithered up to her, concern in her eyes. "Tigress, are you feeling okay? You look a bit…"

"I am fine."

The masters glanced at each other, sharing their thoughts. Monkey was the first that spoke again. "So… Where are you going?" he asked, repeating Po's question.

"I am going with Master Mei-Hua to the Dragon-City," Tigress murmured not loud enough for the others to hear.

"Uhm… What did you say?" Po asked the tiger.

Tigress sighed. Why did this have to be so hard? "I am going with Master Mei-Hua to the Dragon-City," she repeated.

"What?!" Her friends' reactions was exactly was she had expected.

And feared.

The smile had disappeared from Viper's face. "What do you mean?" she whispered.

"Mei-Hua is my new master. We are going to leave the palace tomorrow," Tigress explained, looking at the ground. Though, she could still feel the others staring at her.

The silence expressed the shock they felt. Viper was the first that pulled herself together. "Why?"

Tigress looked up, meeting her eyes. "She asked me and I couldn't say no." Her voice wasn't fragile; it was still cold and steady.

"So you are just going to leave?" Mantis expressed how they all felt; they just couldn't believe it. Tigress was their leader and if she was gone, what would happen to them? The tiger master just belonged with the Jade Palace. She had been there in much longer time than any of the others.

"Yes, we will start our travel tomorrow," Tigress replied, telling them the facts once again.

"But… But what about Master Shifu? Has he just agreed to all this?" Crane asked her.

Tigress nodded. The red panda master had said yes, so she wasn't lying. They could even ask their master himself if they didn't believe her.

"But what about us? What about the Furious Five?" Monkey said, glancing at them all to get support.

Tigress met their eyes. "You don't need me as much as you think. You are going to be fine." Her face and voice was emotionless. It was easier for her on that way.

"But you are our leader! You can't just leave!"

"I can, Viper. And if you really need a leader, then I am sure that Po can do it."

"Wait! What?! Me? As a leader? No way!"

"Po, you were the one that saved us in Gongmen City. You are the Dragon Warrior, a natural leader," Tigress told him, sounding a little annoyed.

"Back to the point; how can you just leave?" Viper said, turning back to the striped feline.

"Master Mei-Hua can teach me more than master Shifu. I always want to learn more. Viper, you know that. And it's not like I am gone forever. Master Mei-Hua and Master Shifu have decided that I should try with Mei-Hua as my master in some months. Then we will see if it is time for me to return," Tigress told them what they needed to know.

"So you are coming back?"

Tigress sighed again. "Probably," she replied flatly.

Viper hissed angrily. "Tigress, we have been friends in more than ten years. We are like sisters. And then you just choose a master that you only have known in two days rather than us?" She pointed her tail at the depressed warriors behind her.

Their eyes were begging her to say that it just was a mean joke, that she only had made fun. But they all knew that Tigress wouldn't do that. The tiger just wasn't a joking type.

"It's not like that."

"I just can't believe this!" Viper hissed again. She slithered closer to the tiger, looking her in the eyes. "Are you just going to leave? Tigress, this is your home! Why isn't it good enough for you? Why aren't we good enough?" The voice was begging her and Tigress flinched at the sound.

"Tigress?" a melodic voice called. A voice that belonged to Mei-Hua. They couldn't see her, but they could all recognize her nearly singing voice.

Tigress started to back away from her friends. "I have to go," she said quietly, looking at the ground. The others followed her with the eyes, all still stunned by their conversation.

"Ti... Oh, there you are! I have been looking for you. Master Shifu and I have finished talking; we are going to leave tomorrow. But enough about that. I have something I want to show you."

They walked together towards Mei-Hua's room. Tigress didn't say a word. There was a pain in her chest that she just couldn't get rid of. Her friends were hating her now. They didn't understand. But she wished that they did. She knew why they were angry of her; she had on a way abandoned them. But if they did that to her, if they just left her behind, she would probably feel the same.

Mei-Hua noticed that her student was looking depressed. "Tigress, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

Tigress glanced surprised at her. That was one of the thing she preferred with her new master; that she cared about her. "I had to tell the others."

"I am sorry to hear that. I can imagine what happened."

"They just don't understand."

Mei-Hua looked her into the eyes. "Tigress, when they are going to see you again, I promise you that they will see a warrior that they have never seen before. They will be stunned. And they will understand why you did this; to be one of the best Kung Fu warriors in China's history." She smiled encouragingly to the young tiger.

Tigress thought about the master's word. Could that be true? Could she really do that? She was sure about that Mei-Hua could teach her much. And maybe her friends would forget it all when they saw her again. They would forgive her. She had hurt their feelings, but they would forgive her. Hopefully…

"What is it that you want me to see, Master Mei-Hua?" Tigress asked as they entered the master's room. Mei-Hua walked towards one of her bags and pulled out some papers. When Tigress came closer, she could see that one of them was a map. She glanced at her master that was pointing with her claw on one special place.

"This is the Dragon City." Tigress' eyes focused on the town she was going to live. If the map was right, then she was going to live in one of the biggest cities she had ever seen. "But we are not going to walk the whole way. I honestly don't have the patience to climb some mountains. So we are only going to walk until we reach this town."

She pointed at a much smaller village. "It is a little fisher town, so it's easily to rent a boat. Then we are just going to follow the river and then we will arrive in the Dragon City."

"How long is the trip going to take?"

"Maybe two weeks," Mei-Hua replied.

"I am really looking forward to see the city," Tigress said honestly. "It must be big."

The master chuckled. "It is. There is never a calm moment. But I guess that it also can be good. Tigress, Master Shifu told me that you have been injured. Is it still troubling you?"

Tigress shook her head. "No, Master Shifu overreacted. I am fine."

"Are you sure? If you are still sore, then we will wait with our travel," Mei-Hua said with worried eyes.

"I can travel. I can't even feel the injury anymore."

"If you are sure, then we will we travel as planned."

Tigress sighed of relief. She didn't want the blaming glances of her friends. As soon she could get away from that as better. It was hard to believe that for only one day ago Tigress didn't have to worry about all this. Mei-Hua hadn't asked her. They hadn't been on their trip where Tigress should show her the village. And then Kang had showed up… Oh no! Kang!

"Uhm… Master Mei-Hua?"

The master turned around. "Yes, Tigress?"

"I think that we forgot something in the village," the student said and Mei-Hue quickly understood.

"How could I forget? Thank you, Tigress. I will get him now. Maybe you should start packing now. The Dragon Warrior will probably soon make dinner and I want you to go early to bed tonight; you have to be rested tomorrow morning."

Tigress bowed to her. "Yes, Master Mei-Hua." The master left to rescue her servant. Who knew how he was doing?

The tiger walked silently to her room. Inside her dresser she found her few belongings. It was only some extra training clothes; she didn't have other things. She put the clothes in her old bag and then she was ready for the travel tomorrow.

Then she lie on her bed, staring empty at the ceiling. Tomorrow she was going to leave the Jade Palace. When was she ever going to wake from this weird dream?

Tigress didn't know if she wished to wake up. She wanted to go with Master Mei-Hua, but she didn't want her friends to be angry at her. An awful choice. But the truth was that she already had made. She _was_ going with Mei-Hua tomorrow and her friends _were_ angry at her.

She hid in her room until her master came and said that there was dinner.

* * *

><p>Tigress could honestly say that it was the most awkward dinner of her life. Herself didn't say a word and was just staring at her bowl of soup.<p>

Master Shifu was also silent, but glanced at his students, confused by their behavior.

Po, Viper, Monkey, Mantis and Crane were staring silently at the masters and Tigress, trying to figure out if all this was true.

Mei-Hua didn't try to start a conversation; it just wasn't the right time to talk.

And Kang; poor Kang was drinking his soup (they had all given up with the cutlery) and was ignoring the makeup on his face. When Mei-Hua had found him he had been painted white in his face with red lips and cheeks. No one knew if he was aware of this or he just thought that it was fine.

The silent ruled in long time until Mei-Hua finally spoke.

"I am aware that you all know that Tigress and I will be leaving the palace tomorrow. Oh, and Kang too, of course. I will thank you for the hospitality and I have enjoyed my days here. Then, I want to apologize for taking Master Tigress away from you. But I am sure that you will see her again soon."

"We are honored to have you as a guest, Master Mei-Hua, and I know that you will be a worthy master for Tigress."

"Thank you, Master Shifu."

Tigress kept staring at the table, not saying a word.


	6. Coward

A/N: I have a really good reason for posting this when I leaft Friends Forever with a cliffhanger! The reason… Okay, I am blank, but I just need to continue this! I didn't really like the place I leaved you in the last chapter.

We can say that this story's weather is inspired by the Danish. Oh, Danish Weather, I grew up with you and I have learned to live with you! Back to the point, after seeing rain outside my window, this chapter became a rainy chapter.

Thanks for the wonderful reviews!

I don't own Kung Fu Panda! I don't! I don't! I don't! I think you get it now…

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Coward **

Tigress glanced at the gray sky. When she had left the palace, it had rained. It didn't exactly make the mood better. Saying goodbye to her friends had been harder than she had thought. They had been standing outside the palace, getting wet in the cold rain.

Too afraid to meet their eyes, she had bowed to her friends. It had been her silent way to say goodbye. But before she knew it, she was pulled into a hug. A big hug. All of her friends, those she had thought were hating here, hugged her.

The tiger had frozen, not knowing what to do. When they finally had let go of her, she had stammered a stunned, "thanks". Not only for the hug, but because they had forgiven her. Maybe they were still a little angry, but it was going the right way. She had promised them that she would write to them as soon as she arrived.

It had been different with her master. Or more correct; her former master. Neither of them was especially good at hugging or just showing their feelings. Tigress had bowed for him. He had looked like he was going to say something, but not a sound had come out. He had bowed back and before she had left he had said some words she was going to need.

"Good luck, Tigress."

Then she had left. Of course Master Mei-Hua and Kang had walked with her. And they were still walking.

They had started their trip at the morning. Now it was dinner time. Tigress didn't know where they were anymore. But Mei-Hua obviously did.

"We will stay here. Then we will continue again tomorrow," she announced. Tigress glanced at their surroundings. They were in a forest near a little lake. The night and the darkness would come soon. She started to find some trees they could use to a campfire.

Kang sat down Mei-Hua's suitcases. The gorilla had cared all of their bags, also Tigress' after Mei-Hua had convinced her that the little extra weight wouldn't bother the servant. The older tiger found their bedrolls that had been rolled together and placed on the gorilla's back.

Tigress made the campfire, but it had a hard fight against the rain. Even with the trees as protections it was nearly impossible to keep it alive. Before it burned down, they all ate the bread Mei-Hua had brought with them.

When the darkness came, they were ready to sleep. Tigress couldn't really relax. She stared at her bag that was standing beside her bedroll. Beside her extra clothes, there was one more thing inside.

Yesterday when dinner was finished, she hadn't been able to sleep. She couldn't bear the thought that she was going to leave without her friends understanding why. So she had found some paper and ink. She would write a letter to them, explaining why she would leave them.

The letter was now lying in her bag. Unopened. She hadn't given it to them. They hadn't read it. It was useless.

Tigress hated herself for not being strong enough to giving them it.

_Weak. Scared. Afraid. Pathetic. Wimp. Coward. _

She disgusted herself. She was a Kung Fu warrior and yet she wasn't able to give her friends a letter.

Suddenly, something warm covered her. Tigress looked up to see Mei-Hua standing over her, laying a cloak over her student's striped body.

"I am sorry if I woke you up, Tigress. But I didn't like the thought that you should sleep in the rain. Just take this; I have one more to myself."

"Thank you, Master," Tigress murmured tired.

"Sweet dreams, Tigress," Mei-Hua whispered, before she walked back to her transportable bed.

Tigress lie awake in a long time. The cloak kept her warm, but its scent didn't belong to her. It was Mei-Hua's scent. It took some time before she got so used to it that she could fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"Tigress. Tigress, you have to get up now."<p>

The student slowly opened her eyes. Weird, she wasn't normally the type that slept in long time. Mei-Hua gently shook her shoulder. "Good morning, Tigress."

"Good morning, Master." It was kind of weird without the usually morning gong. Tigress had gotten used to it after all those years.

"There is breakfast ready. It is bread and dried fruit. I know that it isn't the biggest, but it is good to have when you travel."

Tigress quickly got up. "It sounds fine, Master. I'll be there in a minute." She started to roll her bed together. When she was done, she joined her master and Kang.

She was about to hand Master Mei-Hua her cloak, but the tiger master shook her head. "You should keep it on, Tigress. It looks like it's going to rain again."

Tigress nodded and swung the cloak over her shoulder again. It was red just like her vest. It fitted her perfectly.

* * *

><p>The wind was strong and it was raining more. But for Tigress it didn't matter; she couldn't be inside the boat anymore. She needed some fresh air. They would soon arrive at the Dragon City. The travel had been fine. They had slept in a forest or, if they had been lucky, rented place to stay in a village. The last three days they had been on a boat as the last part of their journey.<p>

Tigress had finally getting use to not having solid ground under her feet. The captain was an old goat that only spoke if it was necessary. Not exactly the most friendly creature. But if Tigress really needed someone to talk with, Mei-Hua was always there to tell exciting stories. Kang was only to see at the dinners, he spent the other time in his cabin, trying not to throw up. He had been seasick since they had begun their trip on the water.

It was early morning and the Tigress pulled the cloak closer round her. It was cold and she slightly shivered. But it didn't stop her for looking after the first signs of the buildings. And finally began some contours of a city to appear.

"This is the Dragon City, Tigress." Mei-Hua had silently walked behind the amazed student.

"It's beautiful," Tigress said honestly. Colorful houses and buildings were now fully visible. The harbor was full of ships, both large and little fisher boats. The tiger squinted, trying to see more. But the town was so large that she couldn't see the end of it.

But further away she could see a large building, a palace, that she guessed was her new home.

Tigress couldn't help but feel relieved when she felt the ground under her feet felt once again. Kang looked like he had come to heaven. The only thing missing was that he started to actually kiss the ground. The tiger glanced at him. He couldn't be that desperate, could he?

Tigress had found out that the gorilla was one of the most unlucky people she had ever met. Everything just went wrong for him. Poor guy.

"If the weather had been better, I would have showed you the city. But in this rain we will just see the palace. But believe me, there is much to show."

The few people that were outside in this weather bowed to the two tigers. Tigress could feel them staring at her, and she knew what they were wondering about. She could hear their whispers.

"_Who is she?" _

"_It can be. Can it?" _

"_Is that… Master Tigress?" _

"_What is she doing here?" _

"_Could she really be Master Mei-Hua's student? Wasn't she Master Shifu's?" _

Tigress ignored them, but glanced at her master. She seemed perfectly calm. Tigress tried to do the same, but she couldn't stop thinking about Shifu and the others in the Jade Palace. It was nearly two weeks since she had left them.

Were they missing her now? She thought so.

And hoped with all her heart. If they didn't then her travel hadn't meant anything. She missed them, but she enjoyed being with her new master. She looked forward to start her training.

Like the Jade Palace, they had to climb some stairs before they could go inside the palace. Not as many as Tigress was used to, but still enough to make untrained people exhausted. When they reached the top a big wall welcomed them. After what Tigress could see, it must surround the whole palace.

There were carved images anywhere in the wall. Most of them were dragons. Tigress didn't have time to study them more, before the large gated opened. She, Mei-Hua and Kang walked inside. They were now standing in the front yard.

Tigress was stunned. The palace was huge! How could she ever learn to navigate in this building?

Mei-Hua continued to walk and Tigress followed. The next door that leaded directly into the palace also became opened. An antelope came into sight. A smile spread on his face when he saw the two tigers.

"Your highness!"

Mei-Hua smiled, amused. "Nice to see you again, Piao."

"Always an honor to see you, master Mei-Hua." The antelope bowed to them. He glanced a little confused at Tigress. "Oh, I see that your travel gave results."

"Piao, this is Master Tigress. She is my new student. Tigress, this is Piao, one of my servants."

"An important servant, if I must say. The most loyal and dutiful servant of Master Mei-Hua."

By the way he spoke, Tigress could tell that he was one of those that would try anything to impress his master. He would always success his tasks to show that he was much better than others servants. Though, there was so much life in his eyes that it made Tigress to believe that they could get along. She and Kang (that never showed much life) still didn't really talk together.

"And I must say that your student looks very talented. A beautiful example for a tiger warrior. Just like her master, of course. Where have you traveled from, Master Tigress?"

"The Jade Palace in Valley of Peace. Master Shifu was my master."

Piao nodded listening. "I knew that your name sounded familiar. Master Tigress of the Furious Five, if I am correct?"

"Indeed you are, Piao. But could you make sure that we can get some tea? I am sure that Tigress wants to feel warm again," Mei-Hua demanded warmly. Honestly, Tigress looked forward to not be wet and a warm fireplace sounded heavenly.

As the antelope disappeared, Mei-Hua led her student further into the palace. Tigress lost her sense of where they were going; there were too many doors and halls, and she was too exhausted after the trip to try and remember them.

They finally reached their destination; a place that looked like a big living room. To Tigress' delight there was a fireplace. She sat down in furniture near the warm. Tigress glanced at the room. It was filled with paintings of what she guessed was different masters. There was only some candle that filled the room with warm light.

A servant, a female mountain cat, came with their tea. She bowed for them both and Mei-Hua explained.

"Tigress, this is Lu Chu. I have chosen her as your maid. She will help you with what you need. Example with orientating in the palace," Mei-Hua added with a smile.

Lu Chu bowed for her. "It's an honor, Master Tigress." She smiled warmly. "I am sure that we will become great friends."

Tigress blinked a couple of times. She hadn't expected this. But honestly, she was sure that she would need help here sometimes. And Lu Chu seemed happy with it all. She bowed back to the mountain cat, who looked stunned by her greeting.

"I will leave you alone now. Just call after me if you need anything," Lu Chu disappeared out of the door again.

Tigress slowly drank her tea. She could feel how the warmth returned to her body.

"So Tigress, enjoying the palace so far?" Mei-Hua asked her friendly.

"It's really… impressing. I doubt that I will ever be able to find around by myself."

The older tiger chuckled. "But you see, Tigress, that is why you are here; to learn. And remember that Lu Chu always will help you until then."

"She seems nice, though I must say that I never have tried to have a maid before. I am not sure if it's necessary," Tigress told her. What if Lu Chu didn't like being a servant? Tigress didn't want to make the mountain cats life worse.

"Oh, I understand, but Lu Chu actually asked me to be your maid."

"She did?"

"Yes, Lu Chu was tired of being in the kitchen, so I granted her wish. She was really looking forward to your arrival."

"Wait; did she know that it would be me?"

"Of course not. She is not a soothsayer. This reminds me of that I will have to introduce you for my masters. They live in another part of the palace," Mei-Hua said.

Tigress wondered how big this palace was. How many masters did there live here?

"Master Mei-Hua, are there others students than me here?"

The older tiger shook her head. "No, the last one here was me and it is many years ago that I earned my tittle as master. So you are the only one here."

Tigress continued with asking her master. "When will my training begin?"

Mei-Hua smiled at the student's enthusiasm. "Probably already tomorrow. Of course it will after you have been showed around. I don't believe that we will manage to stay awake long enough tonight to show you just a little part of the palace."

The student understood what she meant. Her eyelids were feeling heavy and she was struggling not to yawn. The trip had made her exhausted. Exploring so many new things didn't help.

"Master, could you tell me where Kang is?" Tigress asked suddenly remembering the gorilla.

Mei-Hua glanced surprised at the tired tiger. "He is resting with the others servants. Why?"

"He has my bag. My things are in it."

"Your things have already been brought to your room," the master answered quickly. "But we will have to buy you some new clothes; you need more than you have now. You will also get your own cloak, and then you don't have to wear mine."

"You don't have to spend money on me, Master Mei-Hua. Your cloak is perfectly fine for me."

"Don't worry about such things, Tigress. You are my student and you deserve what I give you." The older tiger smiled.

Tigress weakly smiled back. Her eyes spotted a special painting. It was a dragon, but it looked like it was made of stone. She walked towards to get a closer look. Mei-Hua saw what she was doing and rose from her chair.

"That is the painting of the new statue that is going to be made in the edge of the town. They started working on it as I left. I wondered how it's going. Piao!"

The antelope immediately came. "You highness needs my required help? Just say what you need; I can get you warm soup or beautiful handmade blankets or I can call the healer if you're in lack of blood."

Tigress just stared at him. What in the world was he talking about? Mei-Hua chuckled; apparently it was normal behaving for Piao.

"I just want to hear how the Dragon of Justice is doing?" She referred to the statue.

"Oh, your highness, you know that I hate being the bringer of bad news."

Mei-Hua's eyes were flashing dangerously. "I asked you a question, Piao, and I want an answer."

"Of course, your highness. My apologies. Unfortunately, there have been some problems with the making of the statue. Your masters are discussing it now, if you want more information. They are in the negotiation room."

"What kinds of problems?" the older tiger asked harshly.

"_They_ burned down the building with the materials. Everything is destroyed, but luckily no one was hurt by the fire."

Mei-Hua face was completely cold and emotionless. Only her eyes showed her feelings; they were burning of anger. Though, she was a terrifying sight. "Those cowards!" she hissed.

The younger tiger didn't understand the conversation. Who were _they_?

"Tigress, I will come back soon. There is something I need to talk about with my masters about this." Mei-Hua left the room before Tigress could blink, Piao following her.

After failing keeping her eyes open, Tigress slowly drifted into sleep. Her mind thought back to the Jade Palace, but the sleep erased her memories.

She woke up a little when Mei-Hua helped her to her room. "I am sorry, Tigress. I didn't know what I was thinking. I should have known that there were sleep-helping herbs in the tea. The servants in the kitchen usually do that when it's as late as now. Come on, we are nearly at your room." She nearly had to drag the almost unconscious tiger.

"What about the fire?" Tigress murmured through her sleep.

"Don't think about that. It's nothing serious."

Tigress didn't notice how her room looked. Mei-Hua led her to her bed immediately. Tigress fell asleep before her head touched the pillow.

* * *

><p>AN: I just bought Kung Fu Panda 2 on DVD today. Yay! I needed to be more creative so my mind brought up Piao and Lu Chu. You will hear more about them later. See ya!


	7. Monster

A/N: And I am back again! With a chapter! That I wrote! But I don't own Kung Fu Panda, just so you know.

Well, thanks to everybody who have reviewed! Please continue that and I will continue writing.

I have something to show you. Here is how the Furious Five's names changes in the Danish version of Kung Fu Panda: Tigress= Tiger (not the biggest change, but it does not pronounced like in English), Viper= Hugorm (now the changes starts) Monkey= Abe, Mantis=Knæler and Crane=Trane. Well, not you know a little Danish.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Monster **

Tigress walked through the halls, her paw holding two letters. Both ready to be sent to the Jade Palace.

It was over three months since she had left with Mei-Hua. She had experienced much in those months. She had met the others masters. There were ten and they were now teaching her along with Mei-Hua. Though, the tiger master was the one who spent most time with her.

She had finally learned to find her way in the palace, but she still preferred to have Lu Chu around her. The mountain was nearly always by her side. Not that it annoyed Tigress; they had, like Lu Chu had said, become good friends.

The maid was more girly than Tigress, like Viper. But Lu Chu didn't have the soul of a warrior. She was not exactly a coward, but she was always fearing getting into trouble. Tigress liked her because she had a gently heart. Though, she had nearly lost her temper when the mountain cat had insisted that she should wear a dress.

Tigress didn't wear dresses. End of story. After the tiger had given her maid a lecture about how warriors dressed, Lu Chu had given up the subject.

Piao was also becoming closer to her. He was some sort of entertaining for her. It was just his being that could seem comic. One of the things that could make Tigress smile secretly, was when he was flirting with Lu Chu.

He was some years older than the maid and Tigress, and was nearly trying to make every girl he saw to fall in love with him. Luckily (both for Tigress and himself) he knew that Tigress was way out of his reach, so he didn't make a sound that could sound like flirting to her.

But Lu Chu wasn't interested. Not at all. "I am not that type of girl." That was Lu Chu's own words after escaping from Piao. Tigress knew that the antelope was harmless; he just wanted to charm the girls. But Lu Chu often saw everything as dangerous. Including boys.

Tigress hadn't talk with Lu Chu about the subject, since the maid had asked if she had ever had a boyfriend. Tigress had given her a glare that told that she had crossed the line and since none of them had ever said the word 'boyfriend'.

All that had become Tigress' world. Her old life in the Jade Palace was now a weak memory that she slowly started to forget. Sometimes when she was lying in her bed at night, the guilt came. Then she would curl into a ball and trying to avoid the blaming glances of her old friends that were staring at her in her mind. But when she woke up again the next morning, she would have forgotten it all, because Master Mei-Hua had a new training to her. Or she was going on a trip to the town. Or… There was always something that could steal the attention from her guilt of leaving her friends behind.

But now Tigress had taken a decision. One of the letters was to Master Shifu; explaining why she had chosen not to come back palace, but staying at her new master. She wasn't sure of how he was going to take it, but she just couldn't leave. Living in the Dragon-City had become her life. And know she just couldn't change that.

The other letter had been difficult to write. It was to her friends, the same letter that she had wrote when she had left the palace. The letter that she hadn't given them. But now she had written more, telling them of why she was going to stay at Master Mei-Hua. There were many apologies. She had tried to make them understand, to make them forgive her. She had ended the letter with an invitation to come and visit her as soon as possible.

Tigress has written with her friends many times since she had arrived. She had told them about her new friends, the palace and about the busy life in the city. But she had become more… absent. Her letters had become shorter, only some answers to their questions. Actually, she had written back to them in the last three weeks. She just didn't know what to write.

But now she had to do it. She didn't want to be a coward. Tigress knew that she had improved her kung fu while she has been under Mei-Hua's teaching. Tigress tried her best to be like her master. She did actually look like her; not only the fact that they were the only tigers in the palace, but also that she had changed her clothes so it was similar with Mei-Hua's. Black was just as fine as red.

Being in the Dragon Palace (Tigress had quickly found out that nearly everything was named 'Dragon'), was different then the life in the Jade Palace. Of course there was training, difficult training after Tigress' opinion, but she liked it. For the first time in her life Tigress tried to be in a school. Well, it wasn't exactly a school, but she got education at least one time at week. Master Sheep took the job as a teacher, but maybe he was regretting it now.

Tigress wasn't good at sitting still in long time. She was used to punch and kick things, not listening to an old sheep while taking notes. But Master Mei-Hua insisted that she should learn the history about the city. True enough, it was an exciting history with dragons and queens, but the training was still Tigress favorite thing to do.

But there was one thing that Tigress was missing. The missions. The last one she had been to was when she had helping defeating Shen. After she had gotten Master Mei-Hua as her master, it had only been training. The only thing that she should protect was the Dragon-City. But the city happens to be an extremely safe place. The only thing that could happen was when _they _made their revenge.

Not that it helped Tigress. Every time that _they _had made one more unwelcomed visit to the city, the masters first discovered it when the damage was done. _They_ were never been seen, the only thing left could be burned buildings or what else _they _could destroy.

"Tigress?"

The feline was forced out of her thoughts by the familiar voice. By her instincts, she bowed. "Master Mei-Hua."

"Master Lynx is looking for you. He wants to start your training now."

Tigress glanced at the letters in her paws. She sighed soundless. She could always send them later. "Yes, Master. But aren't you supposed to teach me today?"

"I have some duties in the city that I need to take care of. I will only be gone for some hours." Mei-Hua told her student. The older tiger started to leave, but turned around when Tigress called.

"Master, can you please do me a favor? I need to send those and…" The student showed her the letters.

"Of course. I guess that they are to the Jade Palace. I hope that you remembered to greet them from me."

Mei-Hua knew that Tigress had decided to stay, so it wasn't a big mystery what the letters were about. Tigress nodded, handing her the messages.

"Then I'll see you later, Tigress. You better hurry unless you want troubles with Master Lynx." Tigress bowed and disappeared the way she had come from. Mei-Hua followed her with her eyes, before walking the opposite way.

As she walked, she carefully opened the letters. Her golden eyes moved as they read. When she was finished, she entered the strategy room. Maps were hanging anywhere on the wall, along with different notes.

The tiger walked to the table where she started to carefully closing the letter to Master Shifu again. When she was done, no one could see that it had been opened. Mei-Hua smiled satisfied.

Then she turned to the other letter. The letter to Tigress' friends. She read it one more time, but still didn't change her mind. She calmly picked up the letter and without hesitating, she throw it in the fireplace. She watched as the fire destroyed the message.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Master." The five students said in unison. Without thinking about it, they all turned their heads toward the closed door that leaded to Tigress' room. But they all knew that Tigress wasn't there and she wouldn't come out and greet their masters.<p>

Even though it was over three months since she had left them, they all still hoped that the door would open to reveal her. But, of course, it didn't.

"You will start the day in the trainings hall. I'll meet you there." Master Shifu announced, before turning their back to them, walking towards the courtyard.

The students watched him leave. They slowly followed in a distance so he couldn't hear them.

"Well, he isn't really helping the mood." Mantis exclaimed. "Not that he ever has been the biggest sunshine, but now he just seems… sad. It's depressing!"

"Who can blame him? It's not like we are smiling either." Monkey commented, while glancing darkly at the others. Sure enough, it had been hard to laugh while Tigress wasn't there.

They all knew that they had to stop thinking about it. When she had been gone for so long, they should have stopped missing her. But everybody, except Po, had been living with her in over ten years. The fact that she wasn't there anymore was just hard to accept.

"I just hope that she is okay." Viper sighed, referring to Tigress.

Po tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, Viper. She is just busy, like she wrote in the message. She is probably fighting so any awesome enemies that she doesn't have time to answer our letters."

"Or maybe Master Mei-Hua doesn't give her a break from training. What? We don't know how she is as a master. Maybe she is even stricter than Master Shifu!"

"Scratch that theory, Mantis. I doubt that someone can win over Master Shifu in strictness." Monkey told his friend.

"Maybe the messenger is just slowly. Who knows if we get her letter today?" Crane smiled weakly.

Po stared at them all. "Come on, guys. Tigress would be mad if she saw us like this. We are kung fu warriors, not kung fu whiners. We can't let the sadness win, just because Tigress is on a vacation! She will soon be back and everything will be normal again! Right, guys?"

"Sure, Po."

The panda was stunned by the masters' tone; it sounded like they had given up!

"Aw, come on! That's not the spirit! Listen, we're going to rule the trainings hall so much, that when Tigress will come back, she will see how awesome we are and forget everything about that tiger master. And then we will be the Furious Five again! Uhm… The Furious Five plus the Dragon Warrior!" He was now standing in front of them, not letting them pass without their agreement.

"I actually think that he is right, guys." Monkey face was like he had just seen a wonder. "Who could have thought that Po could be right?"

"Yeah! Hey… Wait a minute! Did you just…"

Po was cut off by Viper. "Leave it guys. But Monkey has a point."

Mantis chuckled. "The first or the last part?"

Viper hissed at him, making him to stay silent. "I mean that we have to do as Po said. If Tigress is too busy to write or visit us, then we will have to wait. And while she is gone, we will have to behave like we did before. That it's what she wants us to do."

"To keep training? Viper, we are already training as hard as we can! And it's not all of us that can be like Tigress."

"I know, Mantis. But Tigress leaved to be better at kung fu. What if she thinks that this dragon-place can teach her more and decides to stay?"

"But didn't Master Shifu, you know, adopt her when she was little?" Po asked.

"On a way, Po, but that doesn't means that she is forced to stay at the Jade Palace or that Master Shifu must be her master. A student always has a choice about that."

"So if I, I don't know, met another master that was like totally awesome, I could choose him as my master?" Po tried to imagine it.

"If the master agreed to it, then yes. Of course Master Shifu could refuse, but you actually have the power to leave him and the Jade Palace."

"Like Tigress did?" Po burst out, but regretted it when the others send him glances. His insecure smile slowly disappeared.

"Tigress didn't leave like that. Master Shifu allowed her to go, so she didn't do anything wrong. But I understand what you meant, Po." Viper finished in a softer tone.

They now reached their traveling goal and opened the door to the training hall. The swinging clubs were not moving, painfully reminding them of the tiger that should have been busy with destroying them now.

But before they could start their training, they heard the sound of a calling voice.

"Warriors of the Jade Palace." A goose was about to land behind them.

Viper smiled when she recognized the messenger. "It's nice to see you, Zhu." Everyone started to get excited; Zhu was always the one who delivered the letters from Tigress.

"Have you seen Master Shifu? I have a letter to him."

"He is probably meditating near the sacred peach tree." Monkey told the goose.

When Zhu saw their faces, he felt a little guilty when he had to disappoint them. "I am sorry, but Master Tigress only sent one letter and it's for Master Shifu."

"Oh… Just follow us, Zhu. We will lead you to Master Shifu." Viper said with a fake smile on her face. Why hadn't Tigress send a letter to them? Why didn't she answer them anymore?

The students shared glances, before slowly walking towards their master.

* * *

><p>Mei-Hua watched the tiger in front of her. He couldn't be more than some years older than Tigress, but his eyes were serious. The tiger bowed, before glancing up at the masters again.<p>

"Honored masters. Your highness. Enlai is my name. I have been travelling far to serve you."

"Then why do I have the feeling that you not are here to be my servant?" Mei-Hua asked Enlai warmly.

He looked at the three masters. "True enough, your highness, I do not have the skills for a servant. But I do have a talent."

The tiger took out a figure of his bag. It was a little dragon, perfectly made out of tree. Mei-Hua studied it closely, before handing it to her masters.

"I must say that I am impressed. But I am not sure if making tree-figures is enough to make you worthy enough to stay."

"I know the forest better than my own stripes. I know were the plants grows and where it is best to collect them."

Master Bear leaned closer to Mei-Hua. "I have heard that Master Fox is in lack of herbs to his experiments. He could use some help with collecting them. It's not like he is so young anymore." He whispered.

Mei-Hua nodded slightly, eyes not leaving the tiger. Master Fox was the oldest master at the Dragon-Palace. He was very wise and had invented several medicines and what else he could make out of herbs.

"The garden of the Dragon-Palace could use a new gardener. But tell me, Enlai, could you be interested?" She asked him.

"I am grateful, your highness. I am willing to take your offer."

"A tiger as a gardener? I hadn't seen that coming." Master leopard exclaimed.

Mei-Hua smiled calmly. "Are you able to fight, Enlai?"

"Only when it's absolutely necessary. But I promise you, honored masters, that I will protect what you give me the responsibility for."

"How many money do you requires?" Master Bear asked Enlai. Of course the palace had money, but it was a good thing to be sure about the costs.

"Only food and a shelter." The tiger answered quickly.

A smile spread on Mei-Hua's face. "I think that we have gotten a new gardener." She turned to the servants that were waiting by the door. "Could you please lead Enlai to his new home?"

The servants nodded and started to walk. Enlai bowed, before following them. His eyes shined satisfied; he had succeeded his mission.

* * *

><p>Tigress finally relaxed. This was just how she wanted it. Just being alone could be like heaven sometimes. She breathed deeply.<p>

She was about to lose her hope. It was now three weeks since her letters had been sent, and her friends hadn't answered yet. Master Shifu had, telling her that he understood her choice, but that she always was welcomed at the Jade Palace.

But Viper, Mantis, Crane, Monkey and Po. She hadn't heard a word from them. Tigress felt guilty; she had told them that she would come back, but yet after nearly four months, she was still here. It was now fall.

Of course they were mad at her. She had lied to them! She had behaved like a bad friend! But every time she thought about leaving the Dragon-Palace, something held her back. Like it was impossible. Just the thought seemed unbelievable.

A knock on the door disturbed her meditation. Tigress opened her eyes and sighed. So much for peace and quiet.

"Master Tigress?"

"You can come in, Lu Chu."

The mountain cat stepped in, bowing slightly. "I am sorry, Master Tigress, but…"

"Tigress." Lu Chu looked confused at the tiger.

Sighing, Tigress repeated it. "You can call me Tigress, Lu Chu." She had already lost her old friends; she didn't want to lose her new. Maybe it was better that she tried to be a little sweeter this time.

Tigress tried to smile, but it didn't really work. She was just bad at lying, and right now she wasn't in her happy mood.

"Yes, ma… Tigress. I am sorry to tell you it, but there was no new letters for you."

The tiger closed her eyes for a second. Why was this so hard? Should she stop waiting for them to write and do it self? No, it wouldn't help. She had told them everything they needed to hear in the last letter. She couldn't say more.

"I should say from Master Mei-Hua that she wants to talk with you."

"Thank you, Lu Chu. I'll be there in a minute."

The mountain cat bowed. "Yes, Master Tigress." She walked out of the room leaving Tigress alone.

The tiger lowered her head in defeat. So much for not calling her 'Master'.

* * *

><p>Fall could be pretty sometimes. With all the colors and that. Someone actually liked fall. Piao was not one of those. Fall meant rain. The antelope didn't like rain. He didn't like to be wet. He didn't like fall!<p>

As on a cue, it started to thunder.

"Just perfect." Piao sighed, knowing that he was probably the only one outside in this rain. But he had delivered some important information to one of the masters, and that required that he had to go outside to get to the different parts of the palace.

But as he walked through the garden, his eyes spotted something that shouldn't be there. He looked at the little house was the tools that were used to fix the garden were stored. There were also some herbs hanging to dry in there. But that was not so important. The thing that he worried about was that there was light in the window.

Someone must have forgotten to blow it out. What if it started a fire? Sighing again, Piao walked towards the little house. Why was it always him that had to do everything?

But only after taking to steps inside, something heavy forced him to the ground.

"Ouch! Let go of me! Please, for my unborn children's sake! I cannot stand pain!"

"Who is it that dare approaching the queen's precious herbs? A thief maybe?" The attacker barked, pulling the antelope's horns.

"Piao is the name. Servant by the mercy of the highness. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I am telling the masters!" The antelope nearly yelled. Suddenly the force disappeared. He quickly stood up, glancing at his attacker.

"What? Is it only a gardener? Her highness spoke of you. But if I was her I would make you leave as soon as possible." The antelope sneered, trying to gain some of his lost dignity.

The tiger smiled amused. "Maybe you would do that. But here in the garden it is me that determines and I have promised to protect the queen's garden with my life. Do you understand? And I am thinking about being a very old man with thirty-two grandchildren, so goodbye, Mr. Piao."

He took a step forward, causing the antelope to fall backwards. Piao quickly got up, glaring daggers at the tiger. Then he leaved before he could get any more troubles.

Enlai watched him flew and smiled entertained. That was fun. No one should think that he was weak. Maybe his new life as gardener in the palace couldn't be that bad. He found his knife and started to create a new figure out of a piece of tree.

* * *

><p>"No, Piao. Don't tell more! You are making me scared! I would have died of fright if it had been me!" Lu Chu exclaimed, her green eyes big.<p>

"If I hadn't had my good knife with me then I wouldn't be here now." The antelope said, holding up his little knife. Too bad for him that he had forgotten all about it while he actually was attacked.

Suddenly a door opened, when Tigress walked into the room. She was done talking with Mei-Hua now; it had just been something about her training. "What had happened, Lu Chu?" She asked when she saw her friend scared face.

"It's Piao! He was attacked, nearly killed by a monster!"

"A monster?" Tigress didn't believe it at all, but she was curious about the monster-thing.

"Yes, in the garden! I will not go down there alone anymore!"

"It is all true, Master Tigress. If it hadn't been for my…"

"We all know about your good knife, Piao. But tell me about this 'monster'. Do think that it would still be there?"

The antelope rubbed his neck. "Well, it didn't seem like a creature that would run of."

"Thanks, Piao. I'll see you later." Tigress started to leave.

Lu Chu ran in front of her. "You are not thinking about going down there, do you, Master Tigress? If it's a monster and…"

"I will tell you what I am going to do, Lu Chu. I will show this 'monster' where he belongs and then I will make him stay there."

Tigress felt the excitement filling her body. This was almost like a mission. The mountain cat and the antelope just stared after her, knowing that they couldn't stop her when she was in this mood.

* * *

><p>AN: And I'll leave it there. Don't worry, I will tell about _they_ in later chapters, also about the city's history. And of course you will hear more about Enlai.

Oh… Are you confused about the burning-letter-thing? You will understand it later, when I have posted more chapters…


	8. Gone In The Fire

A/N: *On my knees, begging for mercy* Forgive me! I know that this chapter is really late, but I have a project on my school. And I was alone with it, so I had to work 24/7. And on top of that, I got the main role in my play last week and the show is on Saturday! But here's a chapter! Hope you'll like!

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Gone In The Fire **

Tigress quickly found one of her cloaks, a simply brown one. She liked because it didn't gave her much attention. She was nearly itching to meet this 'monster'. She wasn't even a little afraid; she had defeated too many enemies. No, she was excited.

She walked as quickly as she could. As soon as she stepped outside, the rain hit her. She glanced to the sky. It was fall and the night was coming quickly. It was already dark. A thunder roared, but Tigress didn't as much as flinch. She just pulled the cloak's hood over her head.

When she saw the light in the gardener's house, she started to walk a little faster. She slowly opened the door, her golden eyes scanning the room.

A male tiger was leaning his back to a wall, his knife cutting in some tree. When she stepped in, he shortly looked up, then turning his attention back to his work. Tigress walked closer, irritated by the tiger's behavior.

She stared at him, until he finally spoke. "Don't you know that it's impolite to disturb someone when they are working?" He didn't look up from his piece of tree.

"Was you the one who attacked Piao?" Tigress asked, ignoring his comment.

The male tiger finally lay down the unfinished sculpture. "Attacked isn't really the word. You should try saying 'protecting your responsibilities'."

Tigress snorted. "Responsibilities? Are you meaning the herbs? And just so you know; you don't have to protect anything from Piao. He's harmless."

The tiger chuckled, irritating Tigress even more. "Well, I have to admit that he wasn't the strongest enemy. Not even smart."

"You are the one who is stupid enough to think that Piao as an enemy. Is the paranoia driving you crazy?" Tigress sneered at him. Somehow this tiger was testing her nerves.

He walked closer to her. "Says that seamstresses who doesn't know her place."

"Seamstresses?" Tigress asked stunned.

"Isn't that what you are? Or are you working in the kitchen? No, you don't look like you can make food. I am guessing a maid."

Tigress finally understood. This tiger didn't know that she was Master Mei-Hua's student. Her cloak was hiding the most of her face, so he could really see her. But somehow this felt nice. Not being bowing for or treated like she was royalty. She would like to continue this fight a little longer.

"A maid? That's exactly what I am."

"Does the maid have a name or isn't she important enough to be called by it?" The tiger mocked her.

"Lu Chu." Tigress immediately said. She couldn't say her real name. What if this tiger had heard about a Master Tigress? She wanted to know more about this tiger. "Yours?"

"Enlai, the new gardener." He told her, taking one more step closer to her. First now Tigress looked at him closely. He was muscular, only wearing some brown pants. His stripes were thicker and darker than hers, making him look more mature. His eyes were something between golden and brown.

"Oh, should I congratulate you?" She asked sarcastic.

Enlai's face darkened. "You are not so friendly, you know that?"

Tigress flinched. Yes, she knew. She had just lost her friends. But she wouldn't let him win this fight. "It's you that attacks others. Do you even know what they call you? A monster." She tried not to cringe at the last word. She could still hear the taunting laughter and see the evil glances.

The male tiger seemed untouched by her words. "It's funny how people just throw that word around. Like it doesn't matter. Like it's harmless. But everything matters. Do you know that, Lu Chu? And right now, my work matters. So if you please could leave, so I can continue what I was doing."

"You can't kick me out." Tigress said challenging.

Enlai walked slowly closer to her. "So I can't? I am not so sure about that."

To her surprise, Tigress found herself backing away. The male tiger was acting threatening. "Don't you touch me or I will tell Master Tigress. And believe me, you don't want that." She sneered at him.

The tiger immediately stopped. He glanced curiously at her. "So you are Master Tigress maid?" He calmly leaned his shoulder against the wall. "Tell me about her."

Tigress tried to keep her mask. How could she tell him about herself? "She is none of your business."

Enlai laughed. "You could be right about that. I was just curious. The rumors are saying that she is one of the powerful masters ever seen."

"The rumors are right. If she wasn't, she wouldn't be Master Mei-Hua's student. But keep your nose for yourself, gardener." She sneered again.

"So the kitty has claws? Should I be scared?"

"If you were smart, yes. But you have clearly proved to me that being smart isn't one of your skills."

Enlai laughed again. "You know what, maid? If I was you, I would run back to the palace. You are getting yourself into too much trouble."

"Trouble usually finds me, so don't worry; I can handle myself. But thanks for caring about me." She spat back.

"It's my pleasure. A kitty like you needs someone to look after them. They just don't know when to shut up."

That was too far. Tigress was nearly burning of fury. "You… You…" She was so angry that she couldn't find the words. To make it even worse, Enlai tipped his head, and put on a face so he looked like he was really interesting to hear what she was saying.

Tigress turned around, to storm out of the room. But when she was so angry, she didn't really look at her surroundings. She tripped over some logs that were lying on the ground. Luckily for her, she managed to grab the wall for support, but damage had been done.

She left the room as quickly as she could, to avoid hearing Enlai's laughter.

* * *

><p>Tigress was furious the rest of the day. She had humiliated herself in front of that… That gardener! How dared he? He didn't know his place! He had no right to behave like that! That stupid…<p>

"Tigress, is something bothering you?" Mei-Hua's voice disturbed her with destroying the training dummy. If she wasn't so angry, she would have trained with something harder, but now she just wanted to hit something.

"No. Why, Master?" She asked, her eyes not leaving the dummy.

Mei-Hua sighed and put her paw on her student's shoulder, to make her stop a moment. "You are always strong, Tigress, but when you are irritated, your movements becomes furious."

"I just have a lot of energy, Master."

"Is it about the Jade Palace? Tigress, I know that it's hard…"

"They are just busy." She punched the dummy again. "And I am fine."

Mei-Hua blinked with her golden eyes. "You are not feeling lonely, are you? As your master, it's my duty to secure that you are happy."

"I am happy. Lu Chu and Piao are great friends." Tigress murmured as an answer.

"Do you know that we have gotten a new gardener? He's only a little older than you and he seems very nice. I am sure that you can be friends." Master Mei-Hua suggested her.

_Nice? Friends?_ Had her master even met Enlai? Tigress gave her master the slightest node before going back to training.

* * *

><p><em>When she first saw them, she became happy. First know she realized how much she had missed them. Shifu, Po, Viper, Mantis, Crane and Monkey were all in the Hall of Warriors. Tigress herself was standing beside the Moon Pool. <em>

_She greeted her friends by bowing to them. "Master, I…" She looked up to Master Shifu, but he didn't return her glance. It was almost like he was looking through her. _

"_Master?" No response. It was like he couldn't see her. _

_Tigress began to be nervous. Her golden eyes narrowed. "Viper?" The snake didn't answer. "Guys?" She was yelling now. Why couldn't they see her? Why couldn't they hear her? _

_Then she looked into the pool. What she saw scared her. It wasn't her own reflection. The person she saw in the water was Master Mei-Hua. _

"_No…" She whispered. This couldn't be happening! She glanced back to her friends. There was still no signs of movements. Then the fire started. _

_It wasn't really a fire, but everything started to disappear. It was like someone has thrown it all into a fire. The flames started to lick the picture and Tigress could do nothing about it. Her friends were still starring empty at something behind her. They couldn't hear Tigress screaming their names in fear. But then she stopped. _

_Tigress didn't do anything. She stared blankly at them, trying to figure out who they were. But she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything. They were all gone for her. _

_And as they the fire destroyed everything, the darkness began to take over. It was the only thing there was left. Nothing… _

Tigress woke up panting. Her golden eyes couldn't focus on something; she tried to see her whole room at one time. It was all dark, but it was pretty normal compared to the fact that it was night.

When she finally calmed down, Tigress tried to clear her thoughts. She must have been having a nightmare. A bad one. That was weird. It was many years since had woken up because of a nightmare.

But… What had this one been about? Tigress tried to remember, but the only thing she got was darkness and nothing. It couldn't have been that bad if she couldn't even remember what the nightmare was about. She decided to try and sleep again.

But she lay awake in a long time. It was like there was something important she had forgotten to do. Like it was in the back of her mind, but she just couldn't reach it. Tigress groaned and buried her head in her pillow.

What felt like hours went before Tigress' eyelids finally became heavy. She slowly drifted into sleep. But just before her mind went blank, she suddenly remembered some orange flames.

* * *

><p>"Master Tigress? Master Tigress?"<p>

The tiger yawned again. "Was it is, Lu Chu?" She asked tiredly.

The maid sighed again. "Master Tigress, I know that this isn't your favorite thing to do, but you could at least stay awake." Lu Chu shook her head; she should have known that this wouldn't be easy.

"Why can't we just wait to another day? It's so late know, she won't be coming."

"It isn't that late, and I am sure it's because of the weather." Lu Chu told the irritated tiger.

Tigress didn't answer. They were waiting on the tailor, who should have been there for nearly an hour ago. Master Mei-Hua believed that Tigress needed some new clothes and called the tailor, an old fox that Tigress didn't have the best memories about. The tailor had a hard time with accepting that the tiger didn't wear dresses.

Lu Chu glanced again. "Are you feeling fine, Master Tigress? You look tired."

"I just had a bad night." Tigress tried to hide another yawn. "Nightmare."

"I am sorry to hear that. If I must ask; what was it about?" Lu Chu asked humbly.

Tigress blinked in surprise. "I… I don't remember." She answered honestly. The maid nodded; then there was silence between the two.

Lu Chu glanced at the master. It looked like she was daydreaming. Maybe she was wondering about…

"They still haven't answered, Master Tigress. But I am sure that the letter will arrive soon." Lu Chu knew that it was bothering Tigress that her friends were ignoring her. She just prayed that the thing she had tried to comfort the tiger with was true.

Again, Tigress had to blink. "Huh?" What was the mountain cat talking about?

"The masters in the Jade Palace. They haven't answered yet." Lu Chu tried not to seem so stunned. But in so long time had Tigress asked her every day about a letter and now she seemed to have forgotten everything about it.

Tigress could remember the Jade Palace. She knew that she had lived there before she had followed Master Mei-Hua. She had been Shifu's student. But… There had been others. She was sure of that. Her old friends… It seemed foggy when she tried to remember their faces. But they haven't written to her, so it was okay that she had forgotten them a little. Right?

The tiger was again lost in her thoughts. Well, at least until a familiar antelope burst into the room.

"What's wrong, Piao? Have Kang getting tired of your teasing again?" Tigress asked, after seeing the servant panting like someone was chasing him.

"It's… It's…" The antelope still tried to catch his breath.

"Spit it out, Piao. We don't have the whole day!" Tigress wasn't exactly the most patient person.

"The monster… He is coming!"

"What!" Tigress almost yelled. This wasn't good. Not good at all. And she couldn't flew, because her master had told her, that if she as much as leave the room in a second, she would be punished in training. Tigress knew that Master Mei-Hua didn't want to do it, but she was going to make sure that Tigress didn't escape from the tailor this time.

"Apparently he's on his way back to his _herbs _after a talk with Master Fox. But he's coming this way! I told him that he should stop, but he said he had a message to you, Master Tigress!" The antelope told her, looking like he was considering barricading the door.

Lu Chu glanced nervous at the master. She didn't like to talk about this monster and especially not that he was coming towards her!

"Wait a minute! Didn't you say that you had showed him his place, Master Tigress?" Piao suddenly asked her.

Tigress felt how her cheeks started to burn. She had not exactly done that. Actually, she had…

Oh no! When she had talked with Enlai, she had said that she was Lu Chu, Master Tigress' maid. When he saw her now…

"Lu Chu, I want to try a dress. Now!" She quickly said.

"But… But the tailor isn't here, Master Tigress." Lu Chu told her, her green eyes big.

Tigress started to pull her away. "I know. We will shift our clothes."

"What?"

"Come on, Lu Chu. You've always said that you want to see me in a dress." Tigress said, as she dragged the maid behind the curtain that has been moved into the room to the tailor's arrival.

Lu Chu didn't really trust the idea. "But what am I going to wear?" She said, as the girls disappeared behind the curtain.

"My clothes." Tigress said flatly.

"What? Master Tigress, with all respect, I don't think that it's a good idea."

"It's only in a short time, Lu Chu. And if you so much as try to take a look, Piao, I promise you are going to regret it!" Tigress threatened the servant that immediately turned his back to the curtain. He would not risk his life for that.

Tigress heard the sound of a knock on the door. "Is Master Tigress in there? I have a message for her." She recognized Enlai's voice.

"Uhm… I don't think she is ready for a visit right now." Piao weakly said to the door. He briefly glanced at the curtain to get some help with this, but quickly moved his glance when he remembered Tigress' threat.

"Then open the door when she is ready."

Tigress and Lu Chu glared at each other with big eyes. One feared this 'monster', the other fearing that he would find out the truth. What could she do? Go out to him and said that she really was Master Tigress and she had lied to him? No, it would be a humiliation.

"Don't say a sound, and no matter what happens just stay here." She whispered to Lu Chu. The maid nodded silently.

She walked toward Piao and whispered to him. "Just play along." The antelope didn't understand a thing, but didn't say anything. He watched as Tigress opened the door.

"Hello, Lu Chu."

"Hello, Enlai. Nice to see you again." Tigress said, not meaning a word of what she was saying. Though, when she saw the male tiger it felt like he was something she needed. A person that she could be real with. But the truth was that he didn't know who she was, and she wasn't going to tell him. What a weird person to be herself with. But when Tigress was talking with him, she wasn't Mei-Hua's student that everybody had to bow for. No, she was Tigress, the real Tigress that could handle a discussion with him.

The two tigers stared challenging at each other. Piao looked from the one feline to the next. Lu Chu? But this was Master Tigress! Why was she…? Oh…

"If you could do it fast, _gardener._ We don't want to see your face more than necessary." The servant spat. He hadn't forgotten what had happened yesterday.

Enlai smiled amused. "Oh no, Piao. Are you still thinking about our little accident? You must soon learn to forget and forgive."

"I forgive those who deserve it!"

Tigress pushed the servant away from the male tiger. "You said you had a message?"

"I said I had a message to Master Tigress."

"So now you are a messenger and not a gardener?"

Enlai tried to go further into the room, but Tigress stopped him. "If you have a message to Master Tigress, then you'll have to tell me."

"I am sure that if Master Fox told me to deliver a message to Master Tigress, then he meant that I should deliver a message to Master Tigress."

"But Master Tigress is busy right now, so you have to tell me and then I'll tell Mater Tigress. After all, I am her maid."

The gardener didn't look convinced. "But how can I know that you'll keep your promise?"

"You'll have to trust me. And Piao can make sure that I'll do it."

The servant glanced at her. "No, no, no, no. I don't want be involved in this."

"Well, then I'll have to trust you. Tell Master Tigress that her lesson with Master Lynx tomorrow is canceled. Master Sheep wants her to meet him instead."

"I'll tell her." Tigress said. If what he said was true then she'll have to go to 'school' tomorrow. Just great…

"Then I'll go now. I'll see you later, Lu Chu." The tiger turned around to leave, but the door became open before he could touch it.

Master Mei-Hua and the tailor stepped into the room. "I see that you have met Enlai, Tigress. He is… Why are you wearing a maid's clothes?"

Tigress felt her cheeks burn. She nervously touched the green dress that she now was wearing. "I… I wanted to try a dress." She could hear how stupid it sounded.

Mei-Hua nodded slowly. "I see. But what about Lu Cu? Is she…"

"I am here, your highness." The maid walked out from the curtain. "It wasn't my idea." She said when Mei-Hua saw her wearing Tigress' training clothes.

"If you want to have a dress, Tigress, then I am sure that Mrs. Dao-Ming can help you with that." Mei-Hua told her student. She wasn't really mad, more surprised.

Tigress tried not to gulp when she saw that the tailor already had her needles in her paws and a murderous look in her eyes. "Yes, Master Mei-Hua."

"Then give Lu Chu her clothes back. I don't think she feel so comfortable in yours." Mei-Hua turned to the gardener. "Is something wrong, Mr. Enlai?"

The tiger was completely frozen with a stunned expression on his striped face. Tigress tried to avoid his eyes.

"I just think that I have been misunderstanding something, your highness. But it's fine now. I'll go back to the garden." He bowed and leaved the room.

Tigress clenched her paws. This was one of the most humiliating moments in her life. How could she have been so stupid? To make it even worse, the tailor was already showing her fabric to her new dress. Tigress wondered if she would be able to survive until tomorrow.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, I hope you liked it. If not, please be kind! Wait a minute… Tigress is starting to forget her friends! What's happening? Someone has to do something! Wait again! I am the writer! Oh… And don't fear, the next chapter will be here soon!


	9. Questions

A/N: It's December! Yay! I am singing all day! I am so happy! I love Christmas! *calming myself* Okay, I am alright, totally calm… LOOK! There is snow outside my window! Yeah, that's right! We have snow in Denmark right now! Wohooo!

Thanks to all those who have reviewed and also to those who just read my story. Thank you!

*sighs* no, I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Questions **

Tigress was bored. There were no other words. Yes, she wouldn't mind studying scrolls; she had done it many times before moving to the Dragon Palace. She could remember that. But she didn't like sitting on a chair for hours, listening to an old sheep.

The tiger was having a fight with not yawning; also last night she hadn't slept well. She blinked a couple of times, before glancing at her teacher. She had never really been in a school before. When she was young she had been training at the palace where Shifu had taught her what she needed. School was for the other children; those who didn't do kung fu.

But here she was, trying to not fall asleep.

"Master Tigress? Master Tigress, could you please answer my question?"

Tigress quickly woke up. She mentally scolded herself. She was behaving like some lazy teenager, not a kung fu master. Glancing up, she tried to look interested in what her teacher was telling her.

"Could you please repeat it, Master Sheep?"

The teacher shook his head. "I said; Master Tigress, could you please answer my question?"

Tigress tried not to groan in frustration. "I mean; could you please repeat your question?"

Master Sheep widened his eyes, before moving his glasses a little. "Yes, yes. Then tell me, when was the first Shadow Warrior seen?"

Tigress searched through her brain. Shadow Warrior was the correctly name for _they_. But the most used was _they_. "At the same time with the first dragon." She answered.

"At the same time with the dragons' death. You must listen closer, Master Tigress." The sheep said, before walking back to his scrolls. A growl was stuck in Tigress' throat. She hated when she was wrong. But now she had been sitting here for hours. Thinking about all the time she could have used on training instead didn't help her mood.

A scroll was put in front her, a signal to start reading it. Tigress sighed and let her eyes read what felt like scroll number 1000 today.

When she was done, she was sure she could the city's history. At least some parts. Thousands years ago, the dragons were protecting the city. That explained the name. But the dragons could sense that their death would come sooner than expected, so they gathered a group of students. They taught them kung fu, and those students became the 'Elders'. Just before the dragons passed away, they gave the Elders the responsibility of protecting the city.

But not all had been happy with that decision. Some kung fu masters were against the Elders, and started to do anything to make them leave the city. Those masters were called Shadow Warriors, because they never went for an obviously attack. They were hiding in the shadows for their chance to destroy what they could and then they would disappear before anyone could see them.

The Elders and the Shadow Warrior were still fighting today. Of course not with the same members; it was many hundred years since the first Elders' had followed the dragons. But then it was the masters' children that must take over their parents' place. The master of the Dragon Palace was the Elders now.

Tigress wasn't sure if Master Mei-Hua really was one of the Elders. She had told her that she had never known her parents, so how could she have been taught by them? But it seemed like she was one of the most respected masters here, so maybe she had been chosen to join them?

A weak sound of a whistle destroyed her concentration. It was a melody she couldn't recognize, but she could guess who made it. She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't keep her eyes on the words. She glanced at the closed window, then up to Master Sheep. He didn't look like he was hearing the whistle. Not that it was a big surprise; Tigress was suspecting him to have some bad ears. It was probably his age fault.

Tigress remembered the episode from yesterday. It was so humiliating! How was she ever going to talk with Enlai again? Now she couldn't hide behind a false name… She mentally slapped herself. She was a kung fu warrior! Of course she was brave enough to meet some stupid gardener.

The whistling didn't stop, and Tigress was clenching her fists as a try to block the sound. There was only one way to make this stop…

"Master Sheep, can we take a break? I need some air."

The sheep looked up from his scrolls. "Huh? A break? Well, I guess you can get a half hour."

Tigress bowed before he could say more. "Thank you, Master Sheep." She quickly leaved the room, causing the teacher to drop his glances. He snorted. "Only young can move that fast, but my legs are fine." With that, he glared angrily at his cane. And then he slowly left the room.

* * *

><p>"I have seen you, just so you know."<p>

Tigress sighed and jumped down from the roof. She landed just in front of him, the tiger that she had heard whistling.

"Honestly, I am confused." Enlai said, stopping working with his spade.

"I would be surprised if you weren't." Tigress told him, knowing what he was talking about.

He looked her into the eyes, and she didn't avoid. "Well, are you going to introduce yourself?"

"I am Master Tigress, student of Master Mei-Hua."

"Just to be sure, I should bow for you, right?"

Tigress shrugged, but he had already done it. When he was erect again, he had a satisfied look and his face, that made Tigress flinch.

"I am a bit curious about yesterday. Why giving me a wrong name? I have been trying to find some reasons…"

"Tell me if you find some. I need one." Tigress murmured, causing him to chuckle.

"Well, there are my eyes, my deep voice, my…"

"If you think that I am interested in you, then save your breath, 'cause I am not." Tigress hissed, face just centimeters from his. She was forcing herself from not hitting him.

Enlai just laughed calmly by her anger. "What was it then that brought you out here to talk with me?"

"Because your whistle is disturbing my concentration." Tigress snarled, but took some steps back from him. The male tiger seemed completely untouched.

"Concentration? With training or…"

"If you absolutely need to know, then I am studying the city's history." She sighed, trying not to think about the many scrolls that were left.

"The dragons, the Elders, the Shadow Warriors? All that stuff?" Enlai said, examining his claws.

"Yes, I am…" Tigress slowly drifted off; when she realized that something was wrong. Why did he know about the Dragon-City's history? She could tell that he wasn't from here; if he was then she would have noticed him when she was walking around in the town with her master. Where had he learned about all this?

"How do you know?"

Enlai looked up, surprised. "Excuse me?"

"The Elders are very carefully with letting information about them. Only few know the history, so how have you learned it?"

Tigress glared at him, demanding him to answer. After some silence he finally spoke.

"Let's make a deal. I will answer your questions and you will answer mine?"

Tigress thought about it for a moment. She hated deals like this, but she wanted to know more about this gardener. And if she had to tell a little about herself, then she would do it.

"Fine, but if lie, you are going to regret it!"

Enlai smiled calmly to her. "Deal. Would you like to start?"

"How do you know about the city's history?"

"I guess I should have seen that coming. You are a stubborn person, aren't you? But don't worry, I will answer. I have been on a lot of journeys and there are always new things to hear. Have you ever try being in a bar?" He asked her.

Tigress snorted. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

"I think it is Master Tigress, but I guess I can't be sure on that." He told Tigress, causing her to blush so slightly. "But believe me when I say that you can hear pretty interesting things about places." He waited a moment, smiling, before adding, "And people. Now it's my turn. Tell me; why are you here?"

"Master Mei-Hua came and visited Master Shifu." She began, but was caught off.

"Your ex-master?"

Tigress glared at the tiger like he was completely stupid. "You could say that."

But Enlai wasn't finished. "But why did you leave?"

"Master Mei-Hua showed me a side of kung fu that I've never seen before. She taught me much in short time. And I have always wanted to know more, be better. So I decided that it was time to leave the Jade Palace."

The male tiger glanced at her. "Always greener on the other side, isn't that what they says?"

Tigress shook her head. "It's not like that." She said, suddenly having an empty feeling in her stomach.

"Did you like your life before she came?"

"Yes, I… I used to live in an orphanage. Not exactly the best memories. Then Master Shifu took me in as his student and I have been living in the Jade Palace since." She told him with an emotionless voice.

"What about friends? Were there other students?" Enlai asked her again.

"Yes, there…" Tigress searched through her brain. She knew that there had been students, but their faces were gone along with their names. She started to feel cold, her body shivering. "I… I don't want to talk about it." She hissed at him, trying to hide the pain that was haunting her brain.

Enlai glanced confused at her. What was happening to her? "Are you okay? You look…"

"I am fine!" Tigress hissed at him.

The male tiger held his arms up in front of him as a way to protect him. "Relax! I didn't know it was a sensitive subject! Now when we are getting so good at talking with each other, how did it go with your dress?" He asked in humor.

His distraction worked on a way. Tigress forgot the cold feeling and was filled with anger instead. Yes, in fact she had got a dress. And now it was hanging in the back of her closet, never to come out. But before she could answer, or rather sneer at the gardener, another person entered the scene.

"Master Mei-Hua."

"Your highness."

The two bowed to the older tiger, showing their respect. Mei-Hua smiled to them both.

"Tigress, Master Sheep is looking for you. He is stuck on the second floor, so I was send instead. It is not very polite of you to run of like this. You know his legs aren't the best. Tigress, are you feeling sick? You look a little pale." She looked her student over. True enough, Tigress wasn't feeling well. She was back to the fact that she had forgotten something important. She felt sick. Her stomach was like a rock and her head filled with mist.

Before she could answer, Mei-Hua was already putting a paw on her forehead, trying to figure out her temperature. "You better go to your bed, Tigress. I think you need some rest."

Tigress gave her a very weak smile. Her master led her away, taking her student to her room. Though, Tigress felt a little good about this situation. At least she was not going to have any more school the rest of the day.

* * *

><p><em>The laughter. The harsh names. The darkness. Bao Gu Orphanage. <em>

_A soundless scream escaped Tigress' throat. She was back in the horrible place. She glanced at the closed door, a door that would never be opened. _

"_Monster!" _

_At the yell, she curled herself into a ball, trying to protect herself. The fearless warrior she had been was gone. She was only a little scared cub. She never wanted to hurt anyone. It just happened, and she couldn't control it. _

_She needed someone to save her. She needed help. If just someone would come, someone who wasn't scared of her… _

_But she knew it was only dreams. No one would want her. No one could ever care for a monster. _

_Her little body started to shiver when she heard footsteps. Who would come now? Would they make her life even worse? _

_Her destroyed room was now so cold that the floor felt like ice. And Tigress had nothing to keep her warm. Nothing… _

_The door swung open and the warm filled the room. Tigress glanced up to see a silhouette of a tiger, the first person that wasn't scared of her. _

_She slowly got up, ready to follow this tiger to the world's end… _

Tigress woke up panting, gasping after air. Groaning, she opened her eyes to stare directly into her maid's worried face.

"Lu Cu!" The tiger backed away in surprise, ended up with hitting her striped head in the back of the bed. She groaned slightly by the sharp pain. She rubbed the sore spot carefully. "What are you doing?"

The mountain cat showed her a wet cloth. "You have fever, Master Tigress. Master Mei-Hua sent me to look after you."

Tigress slowly nodded to her. She tried to remember what had happened. Master Sheep, Enlai's whistling outside the window, the questions… She held her head in her paws. How could she have been so stupid? He had tricked her! Why had she first seen that now?

She had asked him one question. One! And he had asked her like four times! He owed her some answers…

"Do you need anything, Master Tigress?"

"No thanks. I'll just try to sleep again." Tigress sighed and lay down again. But every time she closed her eyes, there was this pain in the back of her head, not allowing her to rest. After some time, Tigress let the headache win.

She sat up, starring at the maiden who was busy with sewing something. "I apologies for taken your name yesterday. It just happened so quickly and I didn't know what to do. Please forgive my mistake."

Lu Chu glanced surprised at her. "Of course I forgive you, Master Tigress. And I think I know what happened. He doesn't exactly look like a monster." The maid said with an innocent voice. "But of course it is none of my business." Lu Chu quickly said, after glancing at Tigress.

The tiger was stunned. Was Lu Chu really thinking that? How could anyone think that she was interested in Enlai on that way? It was impossible! Completely impossible! She was a kung fu master, and she didn't need a love life. She was doing great. And there was no way that she could fall in love with that arrogant gardener! The only thing she felt was anger against him, and that was fine with her.

"You are right, Lu Chu. It is none of your business." It came out harsher than she had wanted.

Lu Chu bowed to her, apologizing for what she had said. "Yes, Master Tigress. Please forgive my words."

"You are forgiven. Now, can you please get me my scrolls about the Shadows Warriors?"

The maid obeyed and walked out of the room. Tigress sighed and rubbed her temples. This was the last time she would study all day with Master Sheep. She wanted the many thoughts to go away, and that was usually done with training. Tomorrow she would do that. But first some more studying.

Yawning, she glanced at the door. Maybe she should get some sleep first. After all, she wasn't feeling well and she wanted recover as soon as possible.

When Lu Chu came into the room again, Tigress was already asleep. She looked at the sleeping form with worried, green eyes full of concern. She knew that something wasn't right, but right now she couldn't do anything about it.

With a last glance at the tiger, she blew the candles out and closed the door.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry for my late update. But I have finally finished my other story Friends Forever. But just so you know; I will never abandon this story, but there will probably be times where my chapters are late. If you really are dying to know when I will post them, then jut pm me. Then I will try to say how far I am with the chapter.


	10. The Dress

A/N: So here's a chapter. A really late chapter, but… Well, I have to admit that my speed with writing chapter has fallen. I really don't know what has happened. It is Christmas that is taken my time? My dear Christmas, how could you? Anyway, I will try to get my speed up again.

Again, no I don't own Kung Fu Panda. Why do I have to admit it all those times? Nah, just kidding. I don't believe any of us here own Kung Fu Panda. But imagine if there was one person…

And look who I brought back! Kang! Haven't we just missed that big guy?

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Dress **

Po watched as his master walked with his hands behind his back. Back and forth, back and forth he went. The red panda never stopped a single time, and Po's eyes were after so long time moving automatically. Po took his paw to his head, groaning. "Too much walking… Making me dizzy…"

Shifu didn't hear him and continued what he was doing. Back and forth, back and forth…

"You know, you can always just visit her." Po softly said after some time. Master Shifu immediately stopped walking, and stared at the Dragon Warrior.

"Excuse me?"

"I said; you can always visit her. You are not the only one who misses Tigress."

Master Shifu blinked; the panda had taken him by surprise. "Po, I… It's not as simple as you think it is." He said, starting to wonder why he even was telling the panda this.

"Come on! We just have to find that Dragon-City, it's a really nice name by the way, and then we'll just ask after Tigress! If we start walking now, then we'll…"

"Panda, listen! We can't just go after like that." Shifu rubbed his forehead. Didn't this panda know anything?

Po stared at him with big, round eyes. "Why not? I am sure that she would like a visit."

"Because, Po, there are certain rules that must be obeyed and…"

"Rules? What rules?" Po was now in his excited mood. He wanted to know everything about kung fu, and if there were some awesome rules about visiting, then he would know them.

Shifu closed his eyes, annoyed by his student's behavior. "They are not for you to hear, Po. Now, please go back to train with the others."

"But…"

"Now, Po." Shifu watched as his student slowly left. The red panda sighed again. Something was definitely wrong, and something told him that it was about Tigress. What had she gotten herself into now?

* * *

><p>"It's actually rather interesting." Lu Chu told the tiger, looking at the scenario under them. The big gorilla was trying to catch some children that had sneaked into the palace's area. Kang was the one who had been chosen to gather the kids and bring them back to their parents. But it didn't really work well for him.<p>

On the roof, a tiger and a mountain cat were watching. Lu Chu had been the first to notice the distressed gorilla, and had told Tigress. The kung fu master hadn't even thought about going down and help Kang; why stop the kids' fun? Instead she had convinced Lu Chu, well, maybe not exactly convinced. Tigress had just climbed onto the roof alone, and there didn't go many minutes before Lu Chu had asked for her help to get up there too. The maid didn't like to be alone.

"When do you think he will succeed?" Lu Chu asked Tigress after some time.

Tigress glanced down at the gorilla again. "Never." She replied flatly. "Not with that tactic." They both watched as Kang finally picked up one rabbit, then he walked away with it, put it on the ground, and then he went back to the other children to catch one more. But just when he turned his back to the rabbit, the child ran back to the others. And so it continued.

"Should we tell him…?" Lu Chu asked, unsecure of what she should do.

"No, let the kids have some fun." Tigress said, her mouth turning into a little smile. It was a nice day, after all. She was finally out of bed after being sick in three days. Lu Chu had taken good care of her, and Master Mei-Hua had often visited her, checking up on her student's health.

Tomorrow, Tigress would start her training again, but today she just had a day off. And what could be better than spending it with watching something entertaining?

Luckily for the felines, it wasn't raining today. They still had to wear their warm cloaks, but else the weather was fine.

"Master Tigress, look! It's him again!"

Tigress followed the maid's glance and then she saw him too. Enlai was walking towards Kang, but stopped when he spotted the two on the roof. "Well, that's not something you see every day. A nice day to climb, isn't it? I haven't seen you in some days, Master Tigress. Have you been missing me?"

"Like I miss the pain of a broken bone. So what brings you out here, gardener?" Tigress sneered to him from the roof.

"I was ordered to help a servant by the name Kang with gathering some children."

Lu Chu spoke to him for the first time. "I wish you good luck, gardener."

Enlai bowed to them, catching Tigress' eyes. She looked back without a blink. When he turned around to help Kang, Tigress leaned towards Lu Chu and whispered into her ear. "I never expected you to be polite to a monster, Lu Chu."

"Well, we can't watch Kang do that all day. And seeing a monster trying to control some children could be just as entertaining." The maid said without her green eyes leaving the male tiger.

Tigress laughed and was nearly surprised by the sound. She couldn't remember the last time she had done that. Then she became quiet again. "He's name is Enlai, just so you know." She said after some time.

Lu Chu stared surprised at her. "Do you hate him, Master Tigress?"

The tiger shook her head. "No. He is pushing my nerves, but I do not hate him." Tigress said quietly. Some of the children laughed, and Tigress looked down to see Enlai scooping up the kids. They were clearly enjoying having the male tiger's attention, and one of them started to pull his ear. Enlai just chuckled and continued to carry the children until the big gate closed behind them.

Kang was frozen on his place, dropping his jaw. How could the tiger have done it that easily?

"Is he trying to imitate a fish?" Lu Chu asked, pointing at the stunned gorilla. Again, Tigress had to chuckle.

"He's good with children." She suddenly said, thinking about Enlai.

Lu Chu smiled to her. "He sure is, Master Tigress. Maybe he isn't really a monster after all."

"Maybe, but he still annoys me." Tigress told her maid. The gate opened and Enlai was back again.

"Master Tigress, could we please go back inside? It's getting cold and you have just been sick."

Tigress didn't move her eyes from the gardener. "I will help you inside, Lu Chu, but then I need to talk with him." She told her.

Lu Chu nodded, and soon she was climbing through a window. When Tigress was close enough to the ground, she jumped down to land safely on her four legs. Enlai didn't move, he just stared at her, waiting.

When she was close enough, he spoke to her as the first. "So are you feeling better, Master Tigress?"

"As you can see."

"I can't help but ask; why are you even talking to me right now? You don't seem like you would like to be around me." The male tiger asked her, his eyes sparkling.

Tigress looked at her feet, then into his face again. "I came here to apologize. I have been rude against you, and I can't help but feel guilty for my behavior."

"Well, I can't say that I have been showing you that respect you deserve. Also I apologize." The two tigers bowed to each other, forgetting what had happened between them earlier.

"So no training for you today?" He asked as they walked into the garden.

"No, I have a day off. But I will have to study the city's history again; there is still a lot I haven't read about yet." Tigress tried not to sigh by the thought.

"Did you know that they are still alive? The dragons, I mean." Enlai suddenly said.

Tigress glanced at him, the surprise visible in her golden eyes. "They are? I didn't know…"

"Not many does. But of course the Elders are aware of it. Every time a decision has to made, they ask the dragons for help."

"But I read that that the dragons died. How can they be alive now?" Tigress asked, interested in the subject.

"They don't really have a body in blood and flesh. Peoples says that they are living in another world, but sometimes they visit ours, but only when it necessary." He told her.

Tigress looked him into the eyes. "How do you know all that?"

Enlai chuckled amused. "I have good ears."

"So the dragons are still keeping an eye on the Elders?" Tigress asked him, imagining that some was spying on her right now.

"The Elders are terrified of them. That's why they never break the rules; they now the dragons will punish them." Enlai told Tigress, chuckling slightly.

Tigress thought about her new information for a moment. Master Mei-Hua scared? Tigress just couldn't imagine it. Suddenly, a part of her wished to see those powerful dragons. Would they ever reveal themselves for her?

"When will you start?"

Blinking, she turned her head towards Enlai. "Again, please?"

"When will you start with your questions?" The male tiger repeated.

A smile spread on Tigress' face, when she remembered their deal.

* * *

><p>"You let her be alone with him?"<p>

"Well, I couldn't exactly stop. But of course she is fine, Piao. Master Tigress is a kung fu master." Lu Chu pointed out.

The antelope wasn't convinced. "I'll tell you, that gardener can't be trust. And one day, just wait, one day you will all see what a monster he is and then I'll be the one to say: what did I told you?"

"You shouldn't worry about that, Piao. I am keeping an eye on him." A new voice sounded in the room.

"Master Tigress! I should have known that you have been the first to notice his suspicious behavior. And may I praise your perfect, soundless presence? It is clear that Master Lynx teaching have paid off." The servant quickly said, while he and Lu Chu bowed for the tiger.

"Thank you, Piao. Have you seen, Master Mei-Hua? I would like to talk with her about my training."

Before any of them could answer, the door swung open to reveal the said master. Tigress Lu Chu and Piao immediately bowed.

"There you are, Tigress. I've been looking for you. There is something I need to talk with you about." Master Mei-Hua told her student.

Piao leaned his body towards the maid. "What a coincidence." He whispered into Lu Chu's ear.

"How do you think she will react?" The mountain cat whispered back.

"I don't know, but believe me when I say that I don't want to be there when she finds out." The two servants glanced at the tigers that just left the room without hearing their conversation.

As Tigress walked through the many halls, she couldn't control her curiosity any more. "Master Mei-Hua, what was it that you would…"

"You'll see when we are in your room." Mei-Hua said shortly while she walked toward the destination Tigress silently following her.

Master Mei-Hua was the one to open the door that lead to Tigress' room. The younger tiger stepped inside first unsure of what to do, but then she noticed the dress that was lying on her bed. She glanced at her master, questions in her eyes. What was going on?

"You see, Tigress, in three days the Dragon City will celebrate you being a master in the Dragon Palace." She smiled proud to her student.

"A festival?" Tigress asked. She had never been the one for parties.

"Yes, you can say that. And I would like you to wear this." She showed her the dress. Tigress had never seen it before. It was not the one she had hidden in her closet. This one was red, with gold and black dragons covering it. It was beautiful made, but still Tigress was sure on the decision she had made long time ago.

"I don't wear dresses, Master Mei-Hua." Tigress told her master with a steady voice.

The smile didn't leave the older tiger's face. "But I am asking you to do it, Tigress." Her voice was soft, but Tigress could feel that her master wasn't going to let her decide.

"Master, I don't really like dresses." Tigress defiantly wasn't happy about this conversation.

Mei-Hua's face eyes locked into hers. "You seemed to be pretty interested in them some days ago."

Tigress could feel how her entire being went into defensive mode. Mei-Hua was a good master, but this wasn't something she would let her decide. "I find dresses unnecessary. I would be pleased if I just could wear the clothes that I usually wear."

"As my student, Tigress, you're representing me. And if asks you to wear a dress, then you'll do it. Understand?" The softness was gone, replaced with a voice that was stone hard. Gold met gold, when the two tigers stared each other in the eyes. A fight about power was going on, now without a word spoken.

Tigress was used to such fights, but usually she could just stare at her opponent and then she would win. But now it wasn't going that easy. As she stared into the golden eyes, a power overwhelmed her. The strength she had got when she was mad was gone, and she felt like she was going to sink down on knees any second. Tigress realized that she wasn't strong enough, and no matter how much she was against it, she had to turn her glance away.

The fight was over and she had lost. Master Mei-Hua was standing as the winner. "Do you understand, Tigress?" She repeated.

"Yes, Master Mai-Hua. I'll wear the dress." Tigress said, looking down at the ground to avoid her master's eyes.

"Thank you, Tigress. I don't like to discuss with you, so next time you'll not act like you did before. It is not the right way to behave as a master." The hardness was gone, and her face was soft again, but still serious.

Tigress bowed, feeling like she was being talk to like a little child. But Mei-Hua was her and master and she had to obey her. "Yes, Master."

"Tigress, I don't want you to be mad at me, so let's forget this episode."

The student nodded without a sound, and the smile came back to Mei-Hua's face. "Good. I am sure that you will enjoy the festival. Now, get some rest, we will resume your training tomorrow."

"Yes, Master Mei-Hua."

When the older tiger reached the door to leave, she suddenly stopped and turned back to Tigress. "You must know, Tigress, that I don't lose. Remember that." The voice wasn't threatening, but soft like it normal was. "I'll see you later." She closed the door and left Tigress alone.

There went long time, before Tigress started to move again. She was just too stunned. She had just witness a part of Master Mei-Hua that seen had never seen before. Tigress was sure that the master hadn't lied when she talked about losing.

Still in shock, she sat down on her bed beside the dress. She carefully touched the fabric. Was she really going to wear this? Now she knew that she could say no. If Mei-Hua wanted her to do it, then she must do it.

Her mind thought of a red panda. Shifu. He wouldn't have forced her like Mei-Hua had done, would he? Tigress tried to remember, but she got the feeling that it wasn't the best memories she had with him. What had happened?

Tigress curled into a ball, feeling blaming glances on her. Could she just pretend that this hadn't happened? Could she still be thinking that Mei-Hua was the nicest person she had ever met? Tigress just didn't know the answers.

She feared how her life in the Dragon Palace would be after this, but what could she do when she couldn't remember what had happened before she had met Mei-Hua?

* * *

><p>AN: Oh…. Now it's getting exciting. And there is going be so much more. Just wait! Well, I hope you liked it.


	11. The Wake Up Dream

A/N: Wow! I have no other words. Just wow… Thank you so much for all the reviews! It means really much to me!

Merry Christmas! I know it's a little late and we actually hold Christmas on December 24 in Denmark, not 25. But anyway, Christmas is Christmas!

Of course I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Wake Up Dream **

"Stealth mode!" Po muttered under his breath. The mission was simple; get out of the Jade Palace without getting notice, deliver the secret package, then sneak back without anyone found out that he had been gone. Easy.

Actually so easy, that there only went one minute before he walked directly into Monkey and Mantis.

"Uhm, hi guys. What are you doing out here?" He asked nervously, holding his secret thing behind his back.

Monkey stared at him. "We are on our way to bed like Master Shifu told us to. What are _you_ doing?"

"I… I am just taking a little walk outside to enjoy the nice weather."

"It's raining." Mantis replied flatly from Monkey's shoulder. It was clear that their panda friend was lying.

Even tough, Po's nervous smile didn't disappear. "Exactly. Rain is nice. Actually it is so nice that I have to go now for not missing it." The panda walked around them with his belly in front so they couldn't see the package. And in a flash, he disappeared around the corner.

Mantis and Monkey stared at each other for a moment wondering what just happened. "So do you think that Po has gone crazy or is he just hiding something?" Monkey asked.

"Haven't he always been crazy? But it is clear that he is having a secret." Mantis told him with a smile.

"Should we tell Master?"

"Tell Master what?"

The two boys nearly jumped of surprise when they heard Viper's voice. Behind her came Crane, both of them wanted to know what had happened.

"That Po is hiding something." Monkey told them.

Viper slithered closer. "Hiding what?"

"Well, we don't know." Mantis said from his Monkey's shoulder.

"Wait, did he go outside with it?" Crane asked, catching Viper's eyes. They were starting to have an idea of what the panda was doing.

"Yeah, he talked about enjoying the rain, if that's even possible." Mantis wasn't exactly a fan of the wet weather. When you were so small like him, then raindrops could make a lot of damage.

"He couldn't have… Could he?"

Viper nodded to Crane. "I think so. But I am not going to stop him. What about you?"

"I don't think so."

Monkey joined them. "It can't bring so many troubles, can it?"

"Let's just pretend like we didn't saw it. Come on boys, it's time to sleep." They all went to their room, well, all except one.

Mantis was standing alone on the hall, trying to figure out what happened. When it didn't worked, he yelled, "Could someone explain me what you are talking about!"

* * *

><p>"You look beautiful, Master Tigress." Lu Chu said as she gently brushed the tiger's fur. It was tonight the festival was hold and the maid had spent a lot of time making Tigress ready.<p>

The tiger herself wasn't excited for the night. "Thanks." She muttered quietly, mostly just to be polite. She still hadn't forgotten her fight with Mei-Hua. Though, her master had acted like she used to the last couple of days, but Tigress still couldn't relax when she was around.

And as a symbol for her lost fight, Tigress was now wearing the dress. She felt like she was someone else, a stranger she didn't know. If there was something that Tigress knew, then it was the fact that she was a kung fu warrior. And in her world, kung fu warriors didn't wear dresses.

But here she was, following her master's orders. And she could do it. She just needed to relax. Relax…

"Are you okay, Master Tigress? You seem pretty nervous."

"I'm just tired, Lu Chu." Tigress told her maid. And actually, it wasn't a lie.

Lu Chu didn't seem surprised. It wasn't the first time that Tigress was tired in her company. "Nightmares again?" She asked.

Tigress just nodded. She hadn't slept well in long time now. She couldn't really remember the nightmares; she always just woke up shaking and panting, like she had been running from something.

She and Enlai had spent a lot of time together since they had apologized to each other. Though, he still had a sharp tongue when he wanted. And you could say the same about Tigress. But both of them enjoyed their new friendship. Tigress hoped he would be at the festival tonight. Or maybe not, when she thought about it. Him seeing her in a dress wasn't something she wished to happen.

"And we are finished." Lu Chu declared and lay down the brush. Tigress stood up and let her maid have a full view of her. Lu Chu was proud of her work and smiled calming to the tiger. But as Tigress looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't saw a kung fu warrior, only a tiger she didn't know.

* * *

><p>Tigress sought towards one of the many torches that were lightning up the Dragon-City. It was now late on the night and the cold was not to ignore anymore. As Tigress held her paws close to the fire, she suddenly thought that were something about the flames that seemed familiar. She couldn't really tell exactly what it was, but a part of her mind told her that it was important.<p>

But before she could think more about it, she saw Chu Lu running towards her. "Master Tigress! I just saw him! He is in the northern part of the city!"

Tigress didn't need further information. She knew who her maid was talking about. The mountain cat and the tiger had been looking for Enlai the whole evening. Tigress wasn't really enjoying the party for her and was sure that the gardener could help her mood.

"Thanks, Lu Chu." She said before walking as fast as she could towards the place where her missing friends were. Tigress sighed again; she could have been there a lot faster if she could run, but this dress didn't allow her legs to move so much. Another reason to why she didn't enjoy wearing it.

But Tigress was only halfway when she was stopped again. Master Mei-Hua and Master Bear were suddenly in front of her, and Tigress could see on their faces that they wanted to talk. Forcing herself not to sigh loudly, Tigress tried to find a way out of the talk as fast as possible.

"Are you enjoying the festival so far, Master Tigress?" With examining eyes, Master Bear looked her over.

Tigress bowed for them both and nodded. "The town is beautiful tonight." She said honestly. The citizens had made sure that the city was full of decorations and the torches were everywhere to make the darkness to disappear.

"You must also be feeling home in the Dragon Palace now. How long time have she actually been here?" The bear asked, glancing at Mei-Hua.

The older tiger smiled. "Nearly four months now. And you still don't seem to regret me being you master." She said, still smiling.

"Of course not, Master Mei-Hua."

Master Bear chuckled. "I think there will go some time before Master Shifu forgives you for stealing his student, Master Mei-Hua. But at least he still has the Dragon Warrior."

When Tigress heard the word she froze. Dragon Warrior. She was sure that she had heard it before. But no matter how much she thought about it she just couldn't remember. The only thing that she got was some jade green eyes staring at her. But what could that mean?

When Tigress finally came out of her thoughts, she noticed that Mei-Hua was staring at her, noticing her every reaction. Tigress quickly put up her normal face so she wouldn't make her master suspicious. "Please excuse me, but I have to go now." She quickly said, and walked away from the two masters. But by doing that, she didn't saw the satisfied smile Master Mei-Hua was showing.

Resisting the urge to call his name, Tigress continued her way through the crowd. Children were laughing and people were talking so he probably wouldn't have heard him anyway. With her golden eyes searching for him, she finally spotted him by one of the city's gates.

The striped cat was already out of the town, ready to disappear in the forest that surrounded the city. His ears caught Tigress' yell and he turned around.

"Enlai!" Tigress needed to know where he was going and why he was leaving. But she was stopped by two guards that were standing by the gate. "Let me pass." She sneered as they hold their spears in front of her, making her stop.

"Please forgive us, Master Tigress, but we cannot let you leave." One of the gorillas said.

Before Tigress could answer, Enlai was there. "Of course you have to do your job, boys. But you see, Master Tigress is not going to leave. She just wants to talk with me and I believe that you don't have the orders to stop her from doing that. So if you please could give us some privacy." He said to the now stunned guards. The two gorillas glanced at each other, then removing their spears.

Tigress walked past them, and followed Enlai to the edge of the forest where the guards still could see them. The male tiger was the first to talk. "Well, this is something I probably not am going to see again." He chuckled.

"One word about my dress and you are going to regret it!" Tigress sneered, trying to cover the much hated clothes with her arms.

"So if it isn't about the dress, then what is it that you will talk about?" The male tiger asked, smiling teasingly to her.

"Where are you going?" Tigress asked quickly.

Enlai sighed and showed her his leather bag. "I have to collect herbs to Master Fox. It's a part of my job, you know."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Probably two weeks." Enlai told her, rubbing his neck.

"Two weeks?" Tigress said with a little voice. After what happened with her and Mei-Hua, Tigress didn't really trust her master anymore. She was happy for the new friends in the Dragon Palace; without them she didn't know what to do. But now, hearing that one of her best friends was going to leave her in a while, was something that could make her life in the palace a lot harder.

"Some of the herbs a hard to get, and I have to travel a long way. But I am sure that the great Master Tigress can handle herself while I'm gone."

"But what about you? Can you really handle be alone in the big, dark forest?" She gave back.

"I thought you knew me better, Master Tigress." Enlai chuckled, but then stopped like he just remembered something. His right paw disappeared into his bag and brought up a little figure. He laid it in Tigress' paws so she could look closer at it.

It was one more of his tree figures. Tigress carefully touched it, admiring the details.

"It's Master Tigress of the Jade Palace." Enlai said even though Tigress already had understood that it was herself, well, a much smaller version of herself she was holding in her paws.

Tigress glanced at him, her eyes suspicious. "How much time have you spent spying on me?"

Enlai just laughed and Tigress was somehow satisfied with that answer.

"Do me a favor and make sure that Master Mei-Hua doesn't see it. I don't think that the Dragon Queen would like that a gardener have been making sculptures of her student without her permission." Enlai said, tossing his bag over his shoulder again.

"The Dragon Queen?" Tigress asked. She had had heard many people call her master 'Highness', but never 'Dragon Queen'. Was Master Mei-Hua really a queen?

Enlai's eyes widened when he realized what he had said. "I have to go now. Take care of yourself." With that he turned around and leaved before Tigress could react.

"Enlai!" Tigress called when she finally realized what had happened. But the gardener was gone. Sighing, she went back to the city with the guards' eyes in her back.

* * *

><p><em>Fire. Fire everywhere!<em> _Flames taken away everything she had ever known. But Tigress didn't react. It was long time since she had found out that she couldn't do anything against the flames. She was not able to touch anything; she was like a ghost trapped in a world where she didn't belong. _

_The flames didn't hurt her, though. She couldn't feel at all. She couldn't feel the warmth and she couldn't feel the sorrow of losing everything. Tigress was completely numb. _

_As she watched the conflagration around her, Tigress noticed there was a change in the burning world. In the orange flames was there staring to be a new color; a gray mist. _

_Unable to move, she just stood there, waiting for the fire to disappear completely and for the mist to take over. There didn't go long time before she was surrounded by the gray color. Preparing herself for what will happen, Tigress stared into the mist. But still, she couldn't help but be shocked when she heard the voices. _

"_Tigress. I'm Shifu. I am-" _

"_Afraid?" _

_The scene was showed in the mist; a red panda standing in front of a closed door and a little tiger sitting in the corner of a destroyed room. Tigress tried not to gasp when she realized that the little tiger was herself. _

"_This game requires discipline, precision, a still hand and a steady heart." _

_She saw herself placing the last domino in the symbol of Yin and Yang, it all created by the little pieces of wood. _

"_Come. Let us go home." _

_The little tiger glanced surprised at the red panda, then following him out of the orphanage, ready to see her new home. _

_Then the scene faded, but was soon replaced by one more. The tiger, now at little bigger, was punching some strange looking trees. A shout of pain sounded, when the paw hit the iron hard wood. Tears were formed in the tiger's golden eyes, but there didn't go long time before she tried and punched it again. _

_She was now in a training hall, but not alone. A snake, a crane, a mantis and a monkey were joining her. An old turtle and the red panda were watching the students, satisfied with their new warriors. _

_Now, she was back at the iron trees, now much older. Again, she hit the tree, but there was no pain this time. No pain, no feeling. She had reached her goal, but Tigress couldn't see proudness on her own face. Not even a tiny smile. She just repeated with she just had did. _

"_Master, are you pointing at me?" But instead of her, the turtle turns his claw towards a fat panda that just had landed in front of her, falling from the sky. Trying to understand why she wasn't the chosen one, a disappointed look came on her face. _

"_This is what you trained me for." She looked back at her home, then leaping forward, ready to defeat the enemy, to prove herself worthy. _

"_Master." Tigress saw herself bowing to the panda, showing him her respect. He was the chosen one and she had finally accepted it. _

"_No!" Tigress flinched when she heard herself screaming, as she was trying to reach the panda. But she too late, she had failed and she could never forgive herself for that. _

"_That was pretty hardcore." She offered the panda her paw, pulling him out of the cold water. He had won again and she was admiring his skills. But deeply inside she was scolding herself for not being stronger, for not helping him enough. _

"_Tigress, do you want to be my student?" She was looking into the face of an older tiger, a master she just had met. But she said yes, for a part of her had decided to follow this tiger master. _

"_Tigress, this is your home! Why isn't it good enough for you? Why aren't we good enough?" The snake was begging her to stay and the rest of her friends' eyes did the same. But she had to leave. She had already said yes to the older tiger and she just couldn't break that promise. _

"_Good luck, Tigress." The red panda bowed to her, saying goodbye to his student. Taken one more glance over her shoulder, Tigress leaved them, her master and friends. _

_Then there was silence. The only thing left was the mist. Tigress tried to keep herself from shaking; this had just been too much. _

"_I see your memories have returned, Tigress." _

_Tigress bowed, recognizing the soft voice. "Master Oogway, I… How can you be here?" She forgot to be polite, the curiosity had taken over. _

_The old turtle walked out of the mist, showing himself. "I sensed you needed my help." _

"_Yes, I… Thank you, Master Oogway." Tigress said, having a hard time with finding the right words. _

"_I believe that you know what to do now?" Oogway watched as the tiger nodded. "Then I'll have to leave again. Don't lose your hope, Tigress. The hope is the most important thing you have now." _

_Before Tigress could answer was Oogway gone along with the mist. _

Tigress woke up in her bed, panting. Not because of a nightmare, but because she could remember it all know. She knew exactly who she was. Enlai had actually told her it a week ago when he had leaved. She was Master Tigress of the Jade Palace.


	12. Forbidden Knowledge

A/N: So I decided to update on this instead of Shadows Of The Past. I guess it was because I would give you some more time to review on Shadows... And maybe because of all those reviews on this story! Thank you to you all!

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since the last time.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Forbidden Knowledge **

"Master Shifu!" Tigress exclaimed as she suddenly remembered anything. Viper, Mantis, Monkey, Crane and Po. She remembered it, she remembered them. Master Shifu, her master that her saved her from the orphanage and taught her kung fu. Po was the Dragon Warrior; a title she first had thought belonged to her. But he was her friend and she had taken a canon shot to save him. She was a part of the Furious Five, the legendary warriors.

Or, she had been a part of the Furious Five. Master Shifu had been her master. They had been her friends. She had left them. She had left them to follow a stranger, a tiger she only had known in some days.

Master Mei-Hua could control her on a special way, making sure that her student would obey her orders no matter what. And that scared Tigress. She was scared of her master's power and she knew that she had to get out of here as quick as possible. But how?

Tigress couldn't just sneak out; there were guards everywhere. And even if she got out of the palace she would have no clue of where to go. Tigress didn't know how to get to the Jade Palace from her, and that was a big problem. She couldn't just walk around in the forests, completely lost; she would be caught after some time.

She needed a plan. Enlai. He would know what to do. He had travelled much and he probably knew how to bring her back home. Tigress was sure that he would understand her problem. She decided to wait to the gardener came back home. He had been gone in a week now, so there was still about one week back.

Waiting wasn't Tigress' favorite thing to do, but now she had no choice. She just wanted to get out of this palace and back to her really home. Sure, she had gotten friends here, but something here was taken her memories from her, and Tigress was sure that Mei-Hua played a part in it. With the help of Oogway she had gotten them back again, but who knew if she could start to forget again. Tigress wouldn't take the chance. The Dragon Palace was no longer her home and Mei-Hua was no longer her master.

Tigress tried to act as normal she could the rest of the day. But it was hard; she couldn't make the feeling of danger to go away. She felt like she was having a couple of eyes staring into her back. Mei-Hua noticed it under training, but Tigress told her that it was because of another nightmare that kept bugging her. On a way it was true, it was just the part that it hadn't been a nightmare. It had been a dream, a wonderful dream that had brought her the missing memories.

* * *

><p>But in the afternoon something happened that Tigress hadn't expected. She was walking around in the palace, clearing her thoughts, when she absent looked out of a window. In the front yard was a goose that she hadn't seen in nearly four months. Honestly, it wasn't really the goose Tigress had missed, but he was bringing something that she really needed.<p>

Running through the halls (she was thankfully for wearing training clothes again) she finally ended where she wanted. She carefully opened the door, like she was scared to look out, to see if it really was true. A disappointment now would be heartbreaking. But there he was, the messenger, glancing around nervously.

"Zeng!" Tigress had to keep herself from hugging the goose. She was just so happy to see the Jade Palace hadn't forgotten her.

"Master Tigress!" He squeaked surprised. The goose quickly bowed to her, then glancing curious at her. Just as he opened his beak, Tigress cut him off.

"Did Master Shifu send you? How are he and the others? I just can't believe I…" She stopped when she saw that Zeng was looking at her with big eyes. "Please forgive me. I forgot my manners. You must be tired after the long journey." Tigress quickly said.

Zeng hold out his wing examining as to see if they were exhausted. "The Dragon Warrior told me that it was important to deliver the letter as fast as I could." He would have said more, but Tigress was again quicker than him.

"He sent a letter?" Tigress just couldn't believe her luck.

The goose nodded. "I just delivered it to Master Mei-Hua. She told me that you were busy."

And the luck disappeared. If her master had gotten the letter… Before she could say more Lu Chu arrived. The mountain cat ran towards them with a confused look in her face.

"Master Mei-Hua wants to see you, Master Tigress. She said it was important and that you should meet her in your room as soon as possible."

Tigress glanced up and saw the silhouette of the older tiger behind a window. Her master must have seen her talking with Zeng. Glancing back at the mountain cat and the goose, Tigress took her decision. She was going to read that letter, even if Mei-Hua was keeping it from her.

With steady legs, she walked back to the palace, ready to face her master. She didn't notice her surroundings until she was in her room, looking straight into Mei-Hua's golden eyes.

"There you are, Tigress. I need to talk with you. I have new ideas to your training." The older tiger sad, not even mentioning the goose's arrival.

But Tigress didn't buy it. She went directly into the subject. "Po's letter." She told her. "You have it."

Mei-Hua stared at her with big eyes. "I am sorry, Tigress, but I am afraid that the letter wasn't meant for you."

"What do you…?"

"The letter was from Master Shifu, and it was to me. A week ago I sent him a letter about your impression. I believe it is my duty to tell him about his earlier student's new life. The letter from him just came today. I should greet you from him."

Silence. There went some time before Tigress finally pulled herself together. "How long have you been writing with him?" She asked with a little voice.

"Since you started here. Don't you remember when I showed you the letters?" Mei-Hua looked her into the eyes. Tigress thought that her master seemed worried, like when she discovered that her student was sick.

The letters. Yes, she remembered them know. Sitting next to Mei-Hua, reading her earlier master's short answers…

Mei-Hua's kind, golden eyes disappeared from her sight, and were replaced with Master Oogway's green eyes full of wisdom. And just like they had done last night, they brought her the truth. Tigress remembered that there never had been any letters. She had nearly not even heard from the Jade Palace. Master Mei-Hua had not been writing with Shifu and the letter was not from him.

"You're lying."

"Excuse me?" Mei-Hua looked like she was both surprised and mad over her student's behavior.

"You're lying." Tigress repeated with a steady voice. "The letter is from Po, and it's for me. So now, please give me my letter." She said as calmly as she could.

"Tigress, this is no way of speaking to your master." Mei-Hua replied with a stern voice.

And that was when it was too much for Tigress. She did not belong in this palace and this master had no right to control her life. Tigress then realized how little she even knew about the master she had chosen over Master Shifu.

Tigress pulled her libs back into a snarl. "You are not my master!" She hissed, staring directly into Mei-Hua's eyes.

The older tiger sneered back. "I will not hear that tone from you, Tigress. Understand?"

"You are no longer my master. I quiet!" Tigress turned to leave, but was held back by a hard grip on her arm.

"Listen, Tigress. What I do is only for your best. And I don't allow you to have any contact with the Jade Palace. Do you understand?" Mei-Hua sneered into Tigress' face.

"Then tell my why!"

"It's for your own safety. They are not able to take care of you, so I had to do something."

"Not able? And you believe you are?" Tigress spat.

Suddenly Mei-Hua was calm again. She looked her student into her eyes, ignoring Tigress' attempts to escape from her grasp. "Tell me, Tigress, when was the last time that you were happy? Was it in the orphanage? Did Master Shifu bring you it?" She asked, her words hurting Tigress like someone just had stabbed her.

Tigress had hated her life in Bao Gu orphanage, and she had tried to forget it. She had been sure that when she was living in the Jade Palace everything would be better. Of course it had, but still, her hope of finally having parents, having a family, had failed. She had gotten a master and, after some time, friends. But no mom, no dad. While growing up the dream of having a family had slowly faded. But when Mei-Hua had showed up, she had brought back the dream. Tigress had hoped that in her new master she would find something she had sought in Shifu in so long time. A parent. But now had Master Mei-Hua proved herself even worse than Shifu.

"Master Shifu has given me more than you've ever done!" Tigress snarled, losing her temper.

"He taught you kung fu, but can't I also teach you?" Mei-Hua asked with a sharp voice. "You left the Jade Palace, Tigress. And now the Dragon Palace is your home and I am your master. Remember that."

"This isn't my home and you will never be my master!" As soon as Tigress finished screaming the sentence, she felt a sharp pain on her cheek. She backed away in shock with her paw on the cheek that Master Mei-Hua had hit when she had struck her across the face. It wasn't because of the pain that Tigress was shocked; she had been hurt much worse than this in battles. She just hadn't expected the attack from Mei-Hua. Soon she could feel tears being formed in her eyes both from anger and humiliation.

In a flash, Mei-Hua was in front of her again. "Do not speak like that to me again, Tigress! I can't believe how you are acting. It is time that you must forget about your life in the Jade Palace. They didn't bring you any good. Imagine what I was thinking when I heard that you were injured. Shot by a canon! When you are a master, then it is your responsibility to make sure that your students are safe. Tigress, I couldn't let you stay there. You deserve better."

Tigress wanted to refuse. She wanted to say that Mei-Hua was lying. She wanted to growl and she wanted to attack. But she couldn't. There was no air, she was strangled and needed help. She couldn't move, she was completely frozen. All she could do was to look into the golden eyes of Mei-Hua.

"Now, as your punishment for your behaving today; you are not allowed to leave your room. Tomorrow you will train as normally. Understood?"

Tigress could only nod. She was still stunned when Master Mei-Hua left the room, locking the door after her. Breathing hard and shaking, Tigress sat down on her bed. What had she gotten herself into? When she had ready to face her master, she hadn't expected that it would end like this; her losing the fight and sitting in her room alone, grounded. How she hated it. It was like being a little child.

Mei-Hua just wanted her to be a sweet and beautiful warrior. And when Tigress wasn't behaving like her master told, then she was punished. It was like Mei-Hua was trying to change her into what she thought was perfect.

Time went by without Tigress noticing it. It was first when she heard the door open, that she turned her attention away from her thoughts. Lu Chu silently walked in, and sat next to Tigress.

"Would you please explain what's going on?" Tigress asked after some time, while staring at her paws.

"I… I have my orders, Master Tigress." The maid quietly said, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

Tigress sighed and closed her eyes. But she soon had to open them again when she heard Lu Chu voice. "But I think I can tell you something. But please don't tell anyone what I am going to tell you! Master Mei-Hua would have my head if she knew it!"

The tiger smiled, relieved to see that someone was going to help her. "Don't worry; I won't tell. I promise."

"I've been in this palace in really long time, Master Tigress. And before me was my mom. So of course I have some knowledge that other servants don't have." Lu Chu told her, proudness in her voice. "Did you know that Master Mei-Hua is the Dragon Queen?"

"Enlai shortly told me, but then he ran off." Tigress hadn't told anyone about her conversation with Enlai. She had decided to wait to he came back and then ask him about the Dragon Queen thing. But now she found out that Enlai wasn't the only one that knew about it.

"Master Sheep taught you about the Elders and the dragons, right?" Tigress nodded and Lu Chu continued. "But he didn't tell you about the Dragon Queen. It is not like so many talks about it; only the Elders and some few servants know it. But my mom told me about it. You see, the Dragon Queen is kind of the leader of the Elders. She is the one with the most power."

Tigress listened with big ears. "And Mei-Hua is this Dragon Queen?"

Lu Chu nodded excited.

"Since I came here, I've started to forget my life in the Jade Palace. I didn't even remember any of my friends until last night where I… I had a really weird dream." Tigress decided not to mention anything about Master Oogway. At least not yet. "I suspect Mei-Hua for making me forget. I just don't know how she does it."

The maid was silent in some time, as lost in thought. Then she finally looked up, staring Tigress in the eyes. "You must understand, Master Tigress, that Master Mei-Hua always gets what she wants. Always."

"But… But why me? Why did she choose me as her student?" Tigress asked.

"Well, you are a really talented warrior. But… She told you that she had been on a search for a student, didn't she?" Again, Tigress had to nod. "That's not true, Master Tigress. She and Kang went directly to the Jade Palace. I heard her talk about it."

"She had already decided that it should be me." Tigress almost whispered, mostly to herself.

"You asked me, Master Tigress, why she chose you. Of course there are your skills, but… But then there are your eyes."

Tigress was deeply confused. "My eyes?"

Lu Chu nodded. "They look like Master Mei-Hua's."

Tigress felt how her body became cold. "Lu Chu, you don't believe that…"

_"Is that your mother?" _

"_You look a lot like each other!" _

"_They are both tigers, they both do kung fu, their stripes are nearly the same and they have the same eye color!" _

No. No! Po couldn't be right! It was just wrong! No! Why should she…? No! Tigress felt sick, like she was going to vomit.

"Master Tigress, the Dragon Queen can be recognized by two things; their golden eyes and the fact that they only gives birth to one child. A daughter. Master Mei-Hua's mom was the earlier Dragon Queen, and her mom was it also. And I believe that you…"

"No!" Tigress rose from her bed. "No! She isn't… She can't… I wanted it at first but not now!" Tigress turned back to her maid that were still sitting on the bed, looking at her with eyes full of sympathy.

Tigress knew that Lu Chu was right. There were no other explanations. It was hard, but she had to face it. "But… But why first get me now? I mean, I was a part of the Furious Five. She must have heard of me long time ago, so why first now?"

Lu Chu shrugged. "I am afraid that I don't have the answer for that."

"If… If Mei-Hua is…" Tigress just couldn't say the word. She just couldn't. "Then who is my father?"

The maid slowly walked towards, to finally stop right in front of her. "My mom told me that just before I was born was there another tiger in the Jade Palace. It was a male and he was here only nearly a year. Then he left and no one had seen him since. There is a hard punishment for just saying his name."

"Please tell me." Tigress begged. She had to know more about the person she believed was her father.

Lu Chu leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear. "Jiao-Long."

It took some time, before Tigress pulled herself together. "And you are sure about what you have told me is true?" She asked the maid who nodded.

"My mom also told me that there was something about a baby. But also that is forbidden to speak about."

"The baby was me, Jiao-Long is my father and Mei-Hua… I just can't believe that Po was right!" Tigress said, thinking it all over again. Then she suddenly remembered something. "Po! Lu Chu, the goose that was here, Zeng, is he gone?"

Lu Chu nodded. "Master Mei-Hua sent him away after talking with you."

Tigress clutched her fist. Now she couldn't answer the panda, she couldn't tell them what's was going on and she couldn't ask for help. But she still had some plans left.

"Lu Chu, I need to get out of this palace without Mei-Hua noticing it. And I need your help to do it."

The maid smiled to her. "I will gladly help, Master Tigress, even though I don't like the thought about you leaving me. But you aren't safe here and you have to get back to the Jade Palace."

"We have a problem; I don't know the way back. We have to find a map. Do you know where they are?"

Lu Chu searched through her mind for a moment. Then she shook her head. "I am not sure. But we can ask Piao. He knows every room in this palace. I can try and find him if you want."

"Yes, do that." Tigress said, hoping that the antelope could bring her what she needed.

The maid quickly left the room, remembering to lock the door just if Mei-Hua should come back. While Tigress waited for the mountain cat to come back, she noticed the bowl of soup that Lu Chu had left in her room. Probably the reason to why the maid had been allowed to visit her. Thinking about the plan of her escape, Tigress quickly ate the soup. If everything went right, then she would be gone tonight.

The door opened and both Lu Chu and Piao entered her room. The antelope looked pretty nervous and Tigress could hear him mumble for himself. "If Master Mei-Hua knew…"

Finally, he stopped murmuring and looked at the tiger. "Master Tigress, are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean, escaping from this palace is impossible! There are masters everywhere…"

"I am fully aware of the complications, Piao, but I believe that Lu Chu have told you about my reasons to get back to the Jade Palace." The antelope nodded to her. The maid had whispered what she and Tigress had talked about while leading him to Tigress' room. "But will you help me, Piao?"

"I will help you the best that I can, Master Tigress. But am I right when I believe that you won't tell anybody of ours part in your plan?"

Tigress smiled. With both of the servants' help then she was sure that this would work. "I promise that this will be our secret."

"Then, what's the plan?" Lu Chu asked, glancing at Tigress with eyes full of questions.

"First I need to know how to get to the Valley of Peace. Lu Chu told me that you know where the maps are." Tigress laid her glance on Piao.

"Well, usually you could find them in the library, but her highness moved them just before she started her travel to the Jade Palace." The antelope told her.

Tigress silently cursed. Why did Mei-Hua have to do anything harder?

"But I think they are somewhere in the strategy room." Piao thought about it for a moment. "But the door is always locked."

"But you have the keys. Isn't that true, Piao?" Lu Chu said happily.

Piao gasped. "But they are only for when it is absolutely necessary!"

"But this is necessary, Piao. And you promised Master Tigress that you would help her."

The antelope murmured something Tigress didn't really want to know, but then sighed. "Fine. But I will not enter the room. I will leave that for you and Master Tigress."

"Then you can alarm us if you see someone." Tigress then turned to Lu Chu. "I also need food for my travel. Can you fix that, Lu Chu?"

"I will make a bag to you right now." The maid quickly left the room.

Tigress took some breaths and then glanced at the antelope. "Piao, I need to ask you about something. Do you know where I can learn more about Jiao-Long?"

"Don't say that name!" Piao hissed, and Tigress couldn't help but be surprised by the servant's eruption. "We are going to lose our heads if Master Mei-Hua knew!"

"Sorry." Tigress murmured, still stunned by the servant's reaction. "But do you know how?"

"Then the scrolls would be in the strategy room along with the maps you need. It is there the masters hide all their secret stuff from us." Piao said, now with a calm voice.

Tigress was very satisfied with the answer. Is she was lucky, then she would get what she wanted.

* * *

><p>"Oh no… Oh no… Not good. Not good at all." Piao murmured for himself, while he stood outside the door. His job was pretty simple; tell Lu Chu and Tigress if he saw someone nearing the strategy room so they could get out of there without other noticing them.<p>

Inside the room were the maid and the tiger searching through scrolls. Lu Chu was looking for a map that led to the Valley of Peace, but Tigress was secretly searching for something else. Her paws were opening then closing scrolls, while her eyes quickly scanned them.

"Here is a map! But… It's not for the Valley of Peace. It's just showing were _they_ have been rampaging." Tigress heard Lu Chu sighed of disappointment. "Master Tigress! His name is here! Jiao-Long." She whispered the name, but Tigress' ears caught it.

"May I see?" Tigress walked towards her, and took the scroll in her paws. Sure enough, there was a map over the Dragon City and outside the town. On some places were there a note, telling what had happened and when. But then there was the mountain. Small letters had been writing under it.

"_Mountain of the Shadow Warriors." _

But there was more. In the middle of the mountain, someone had been writing more.

"_Jiao-Long's hideout." _

Lu Chu glanced over Tigress' shoulder. "But why is he on a scroll about _they_." Then she gasped. "Master Tigress, do you think…?"

"That he is their leader? Yes, I believe so." Tigress said as calmly as she could. This day was one of the weirdest in her life. She suddenly remembered her life again, she had been slapped in the face, she had found out who her parents were and then discovered that they were enemies. What a day!

The door slightly cracked open and Piao looked inside. "Could you please hurry?" He sneered.

"We are doing the best that we can!" Lu Chu whispered back. The maid left Tigress with the scroll and continued her search. Just as Tigress had finished putting the scroll in her back to the travel, she heard Lu Chu exclaim, "Here it is! I found it! The map to the Valley of Peace!"

Tigress quickly was by her side. The maid was right; it was the map she needed. Lu Chu gave it to her and Tigress laid it in the bag with the other scroll and the food. "Thank you." Tigress bowed. "To both of you." She added, glancing at the door where Piao's head still was.

They bowed back, Lu Chu with tears in her eyes. "You must go now, Master Tigress, before they notice that you aren't in your room."

The tiger and the mountain cat walked out of the strategy room, and Piao locked the door. "Now, make sure that they don't suspect you." Tigress told them. They nodded and disappeared in different directions.

The bag that contained the scrolls and the food was placed on her back, so she could run without any troubles. Tigress silently walked through the halls, not wanting to meet any masters right now. Her plan was to get out of the palace by the front gate, but she knew that she maybe had to use another way.

But there didn't go long time before she met troubles. Master Lynx and Master Bear were standing in the middle of a hall, talking about something Tigress didn't hear. When Tigress opened the door, they noticed her in a second, and with her bag and her cloak it was clear that she was out on something. They started to run towards her, but Tigress turned around and closed the door behind her. Without any key to lock it, it wouldn't take long time before they had made their way through it. Tigress chose a random door and disappeared behind it, hoping to confuse the masters.

However, she had only been running in short time when she heard Mei-Hua call her name.

"Tigress!" The older tiger was standing in the end of the hall with Tigress in the middle. Her eyes were furious, but her face was completely shocked. She knew what her student was trying to do and she would do anything to stop her.

But Tigress was faster. Opening the door that was closest to her, she found herself inside her own room. She soundless thanked Lu Chu and Piao for leaving the door unlocked. Without hesitating, she kicked her closet, making it fall just in front of the door. While Mei-Hua was busy with trying to get through the only way to the room, the door, Tigress opened the window. Climbing out, she made her way to the roof, using that as her last try to escape. While she ran on it, she made herself ready for her leap. When she reached the end of the roof, she jumped, to finally land on the other side of the wall on all fours.

Without glancing back at the Dragon Palace, Tigress ran into the dark, escaping from Mei-Hua's grasp.

* * *

><p>AN: And I'll stop the chapter here. Wow, a long one, huh? Hope you liked it. Now we know who her parents are (yes, I know that Mei-Hua was pretty obvious) and yes, we are going to hear more about Jiao-Long.


	13. By The Campfire

A/N: *falling down from my chair* WOW! Just WOW! Like really WOW! Remember my last chapter where I said WOW? Well, this is like double WOW! Thank you SO much for all your reviews! THANK YOU!

I will just make it clear now; this story is long from finished! *evil laughter* And to all of you who thought that everything would be happiness after the last chapter; well, there is still long time before happily ever after comes (if it even does; I do not reveal anything).

Oh, and there will be some time-shifts in this story. But hopefully you will understand it.

Nope, I do not own Kung Fu Panda. You should know it now; this is my thirteenth chapter!

**Behind The Golden Eyes, By The Campfire **

Looking into the flames, Tigress thought her plan over again. The idea itself was crazy, many thinks could go wrong. Again, Tigress asked herself why she just couldn't have stick to the originally idea. Escaping to the Jade Palace, back to her friends again. But instead she was now sitting in a dark forest, freezing in the cold night.

After getting out of the Dragon Palace, everything had gone pretty easily. None of the masters had been fast enough to follow her, and when Tigress had reached the end of the town she had just taken out the guards and had disappeared into the forest that surrounded the most of the city.

Now Tigress had been on the run for three days. She hadn't seen a single living soul since she had left the city. And now it was starting to bug her.

A lot.

She remembered the time just before Master Mei-Hua had arrived. She had been feeling alone with the others away on a mission, Master Shifu meditating and herself being left behind in the Jade Palace. But now, she would have done anything to be back at that time.

Being alone in a forest she didn't even know, being chased by her mother (Tigress was trying to get used to the thought) and trying to find her father with an imprecise map, was much worse than being alone in some days in her own home.

Taken out the map from her bag, Tigress studied it again. "There." She murmured for herself, pointing on a place on the map with her claw. "_Mountain of the Shadow Warriors." _That was where she was going. Not to the Jade Palace, not to her home. No, she was following the weak hope of finding out the when, no, if she found her father it would bring her some sort of satisfaction. After all, he couldn't be worse than Mei-Hua, could he?

Tigress wanted to know how she had ended up in the orphanage. And she could not get the answers from Mei-Hua. The older tiger would just take her home by force without even listening to her. Tigress promised herself that she would never do what the older tiger told her, no matter what. She would not let those golden eyes control her again.

The lone tiger shivered when the cold wind came back, stronger than ever. She knew that it was foolish and that her plan could easily go wrong. Very easily. She didn't know these forests or who that was living in them. And just the fact that she alone was going to climb a mountain, looking for a person that was hiding in a place that no one was completely sure where, was crazy. And Tigress had to admit that she didn't even know how her father would react when, no, if he saw her. Maybe he would reject her.

Tigress tried not to think much about her. She comforted herself with the thought that Master Mei-Hua probably was heading toward the Jade Palace as it was the place that it was most likely that she would go to. She wondered what Master Shifu would do when she heard that she had run off.

Finding the blanket that Lu Chu had been smart enough to put in her bag, Tigress made herself ready for sleep. Staring into the orange flames, she couldn't help but sigh. How she wished to be back at the Jade Palace right now. But she had only herself to blame for not being there.

* * *

><p>"He's here now." Piao said as he ran towards the maid.<p>

Lu Chu was confused. "Who?" She asked him.

The antelope looked annoyed at her. "The gardener!" He said, giving her a blaming glance for not remembering their earlier conversation.

His words worked and Lu Chu widened her eyes when she realized what he was talking about. Then she turned around and stormed down of the stairs. "Be careful! You never know which side he is on!" Piao yelled after her.

The two servants had been pretty lucky. After Tigress' escape everybody had been too busy with going after her, than try and find out how she had done it. Though, Mei-Hua eyes had told them that she knew that they had something to do with the escape. But she hadn't done anything, only making herself and some servants ready for the travel to follow Tigress.

Lu Chu had seen Mei-Hua and some of the others master searching through the strategy room and had found out that the map to the Valley of Peace was missing. After that had Mei-Hua made a boat ready that could bring her closer to the valley and on the same time catching up with Tigress.

While the two tigers were going towards the Jade Palace, Lu Chu and Piao had to stay here. The other masters, except Master Lynx that was with Mei-Hua, were still in the Dragon Palace and the servants had enough to do. But after some secret talk about what they could do to help Tigress now, Lu Chu remembered that Enlai was coming home. Maybe the male tiger could help Tigress.

She saw him when he just walked out of a room; he had probably giving the herbs to Master Fox. "Gardener! Uhm… Enlai!" The mountain cat yelled, still a little unsure of remembering his name. 'Gardener' was just the thing they used to call him.

"Well, isn't it the real Lu Chu." He said as he walked towards her. "Can you lead me to Master Tigress? I assume that she would like to see me." Enlai said, chuckling a bit at the last part.

"But that's the thing, Enlai. Master Tigress isn't here!"

The smile disappeared from the male tiger's face. "Well, where is she then?"

"She's on her way to the Valley of Peace. She left six days ago, after she found out that…" Lu Chu trailed off.

"Found out what?" Enlai demanded.

Lu Chu leaned closer to him and whispered, "Not here. Follow me." She scanned the room around her with her eyes, making sure that no one had heard them. When she saw that they had been alone, she started to lead the tiger to Tigress' room. Or what now was Tigress' old room.

Enlai followed without a word. A part of him was full of fear for his friend's life, then he was angry at her for not just staying out of trouble and he was irritated on the maid for not just telling him what was going on now. Doing his best to stay calm, he continued walking until Lu Chu stopped in front of a room he had never been in before.

They walked in, and Enlai widened his eyes when he saw a big pile of pieces of wood lying on the floor. His curiosity taken over, he kneeled down and studied it. It only took him seconds to find out that all this once had been a closet.

"Tigress' room." He murmured to himself, realizing where he was. Tigress had never allowed him to come and visit her here; it would just seem wrong.

Lu Chu sat herself on the bed like she had done when she had talked with Tigress, but after some time waiting she understood that Enlai would remain standing. He looked at her with a frown in his face, arms crossed over his chest.

"We are alone now. Tell me what happened."

The mountain cat sighed. "It is a long story, but…"

"Tell me, and don't forget a single detail!" Enlai growled, not able to control his temper anymore.

Lu Chu eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't really felt scared. She knew that the tiger only was worried about Tigress. Giving him a calming smile that he didn't return, she cleared her throat and started to tell him what happened. "You must have noticed that Master Tigress didn't have many memories of her old life."

"The Dragon Queen's fault I assume?"

"We believe so. But then the goose from the Jade Palace came with a letter, but Master Mei-Hua took it before Tigress could get it. Of course she wanted it back, but Master Mei-Hua wasn't pleased with her and locked the door to her room."

"And the letter?" Enlai asked.

"I saw Master Mei-Hua burn it. But then I went to talk with Master Tigress and she wanted to know what was going on, so I told her about Jiao-Long…" Lu Chu immediately covered her mouth with her paws. She shouldn't have said that name. It was forbidden and…

"And Tigress then figured out who her parents are." Enlai finished for her. He looked like he was in deep thoughts.

"How… How do you know that?" Lu Chu whispered, stunned by the gardener's knowledge. He had just arrived to the Dragon Palace so how could he know about something that happened over twenty-five years ago.

Enlai shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? You cannot say that the Dragon Queen and Tigress doesn't look like each other. "

"But how do you know about Jiao-Long?"

"I know a lot of things." Enlai said shortly. "Now, continue."

Lu Chu, still a little stunned, did what she was told. "Then Master Tigress made a plan about how she could get out of the Dragon Palace and Piao told us where the maps where and gave us the key."

"Slow down! Maps? Keys?"

"You see, Master Tigress didn't know how to get back to the Valley of Peace, so she needed a map. Piao told us that the masters where keeping them in the strategy room, so he gave us the key so we could open the door. We found the map, but…."

Again, Enlai lost his patience. "But what?"

"I think she took another map with her. I found it while searching for the one that could lead her home. It showed where _they_ had been and then there was a place where they had written that Jiao-Long was hiding." Lu Chu told him, thinking about what had happened.

"And Tigress brought it with her?" Enlai was answered with a nod from Lu Chu. Then he turned around and smashed his fist onto the wall. "Foolish girl!" He sneered. The gardener cursed inside. Why was she making his job so much harder?

Lu Chu stared at him, her green eyes widened in shock. A part of her feared that he was talking about her! But she sensed that it was a certain tiger he was talking about. But why she was foolish, Lu Chu didn't know.

Enlai turned to the maid again. "She went to the Jade Palace, right?" Lu Chu nodded. "And Mei-Hua is following her?"

"Yes, with some servants, Master Lynx and…. And guards, I believe." The maid told him.

The male tiger rubbed his neck. "If I leave now, then I maybe can catch up with them." He started to leave the room, and Lu Chu jumped away from the bed to follow him.

"Wait, I can help you. You will need food and…"

"No thanks. I have what I need." Enlai said roughly to Lu Chu. Before he disappeared out of the door, Lu Chu heard him say, "But if you would do me a favor, then tell the masters of the Dragon Palace that they need to find a new gardener."

* * *

><p>"Where is she?" Mei-Hua growled directly into Shifu's face.<p>

The red panda remained calm. "I believe there has been a mistake."

Master Mei-Hua looked insulted. "Don't lie to me, Shifu. I know she is here." She sneered again, impatient. Now she had been travelled in nearly two weeks, trying to find her student. But still, she had not even seen a glimpse of Tigress.

"She is not here!" Shifu told her again, jumping away from the tiger. It was obvious that Mei-Hua was furious, and Shifu didn't want to fight her. But in the end it could be necessary.

The tiger snorted. "Where else should she be? Don't believe that I don't know my student, Shifu."

"I haven't seen Master Tigress since she left the Jade Palace, and neither has my students." Shifu eyed her. "And could you please tell me the reasons the why Master Tigress isn't in the Dragon-City?"

"Like you said, Master Shifu, there have happened some mistakes, and now I need to find her. And don't you dare keeping her away from me!" She hissed again.

The red panda pounded the end of his staff on the ground. "Enough! I will help you searching for Tigress, not for your fault, but for hers." Shifu said, concerned for his earlier student's well-being. His mind wondered where she could be. On her way to the Valley of Peace or somewhere else? Was she lost, injured…?

Mei-Hua leaned down in his level, looking him straight into the eyes. "I don't need you to search; I need you tell me where she is." She pulled her lips back into a snarl, giving him a full sight of her sharp fangs. "You have absolutely no right to keep a daughter away from her mother!"

Shifu saw that Tigress hadn't got her anger from nothing. Forcing himself to act calm, he met Mei-Hua's eyes. "I am fully aware of that. If not, I would not have let her go with you."

"Uhm… What's going on out here?"

The two masters turned around to see Shifu's students reaching the top of the many stairs that led to the Jade Palace. They were all staring at them with big eyes. Mei-Hua gave them a cold glance and put up her emotionless face. Turning away from them, she walked towards the servants that just had come out from the palace.

One of them bowed to her. "Your highness, we have searched everywhere. I don't think she is here."

Growling, Mei-Hua turned away from him, and walked towards Master Lynx that had been standing in the shadow. "You know, maybe she just hadn't arrived here yet." He said told her, only to get some furious eyes staring him down.

"Tigress isn't stupid. She knows she had to be here before us." Mei-Hua looked over the valley. Where could she be? "Was anything else gone from the strategy room?" She turned back to the lynx. He had been the one who had searching in the room, and had brought her the news about the missing map that led to this valley.

"Well, yes, but I don't believe it's important." He said a little unsure.

"I am the one who decides what's important or not. Now, tell me what's missing."

"Just an old map about the Shadows Warriors. Like I said, it's not…"

"You fool!" Mei-Hua sneered, furious. "Can't you see this change everything?" Master Lynx backed away, but still couldn't follow her thoughts. Suddenly, the tiger became calm again. "Never mind. Now I know where she is going."

* * *

><p>Tigress couldn't help but widened her eyes when she first saw the light. She had been traveling for two weeks now and had finally reached the Mountain of the Shadows Warriors, and in all that time she hadn't met a single person. Well, she had been avoiding villages; who knew if they would tell Mei-Hua? It was getting colder and colder, the little blanket Tigress was using couldn't fight the cold anymore. That was why she automatically started walking towards the light that Tigress guessed came from a campfire; her body needed the warmth. But who was making a camp near a mountain in this weather?<p>

Silently walking closer, she started to hear voices. The words that they were saying were gone, taken by the wind. The camp where shield by a big rock that Tigress used to remain unseen. She kept standing there unsure of if she should go closer.

"Who are you?"

Tigress immediately spun around, only to see a figure standing in front of her. By one look she could tell that it was a feline, though it was hard to see which kind because the most of his body was covered in black fabric. Only the eyes were visible in his face. The voice told her that it was a male, and he definitely didn't seemed friendly.

Growling, Tigress took her fighting stance. The feline did the same, obviously knowing kung fu. When he jumped towards her, Tigress backed away, only to find herself in the middle of the camp. At least ten couples of eyes were now staring at her, all belonging to masked felines. They quickly got up, surrounding the intruder.

Tigress could see that she couldn't take them all down, and did the only thing that she could; she ran. Jumping past some felines, kicking one in the stomach while doing it, Tigress disappeared between the trees. But she knew that they were following her; she could hear their paws on the ground.

Running in the cold all day, didn't help Tigress' condition to fight. She was tired and with so many of them she didn't had a chance. That was why she prayed that she was faster than them. While trying to get away, Tigress started wondering who they were. And the answer suddenly hit her. She was on the Mountain of the Shadow Warriors. Who else could they be?

She couldn't think further before she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder. Shortly moving her focus from not hitting any trees, she saw that a dart had hit her. The drowsiness came quickly. Tigress knew that there wouldn't go long time before she would be sleeping. The Shadow Warriors were catching up with her, and Tigress decided to meet them.

Stopping her running, she turned around and growled at them. They slowly surrounded her, but didn't do anything else. They were just waiting for her to become harmless. But Tigress wouldn't just lie down. She continued standing on shaking legs, still growling to tell them not to go any closer.

Tigress' eyelids became heavy and then everything went black.

* * *

><p>AN: And how I love writing cliffhangers. Yes, I know this chapter isn't the most exciting (the end is, maybe), but there was some information that I had to give you. So I hope, this chapter caught your interest, there was many things you didn't know, huh. And there are still a lot of things we need answers on, and they will come in later chapters.

Oh, and to all of you who reads my other story 'Shadows Of The Past': I will just tell you that chapter three has been out in some days. It is just because I haven't got any reviews on that chapter (I usually at least get one), so I didn't know if you hadn't noticed it.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all of you who have reviewed.


	14. The Shadow Warriors

A/N: And I am back. Sorry for the long wait; I just had problems with writing. I know what I wanted to write, but when I sat in front of my computer the words just couldn't get out. So annoying!

To anyone who wants to know it; I will be updating 'Shadows Of The Past' soon. I think I have gotten the rhythm *two chapters to 'Behind the Golden Eyes, one to 'Shadows Of The Past'… And we continue…

Again, THANK YOU for your reviews!

And I left (not 'leaved', I have improved! Thank you for your advices!) you with a cliffhanger! Evil me…

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Shadow Warriors **

Before Tigress could open her eyes, it was only her thoughts she could focus on. It was like someone was ripping an old wound open; she kept seeing what had happened since she had left the Jade Palace. Again and again she heard Lu Chu's words, the horrible feeling when she realized who her mother was.

Tigress started to be able to feel her body again, but her head still felt like it was full of mist. Finally, she remembered where she was; in the hands of the Shadow Warriors. She quickly opened her eyes, only to see nothing. Keeping herself calm, Tigress realized that she was blindfolded; she could feel the fabric against her eyelids.

Her arms were behind her, robe binding her paws together. The robe was tied to something so she couldn't move, making her even more helpless. After some time, Tigress stopped struggling and started listening instead. They had to be here. They couldn't just have left her like this.

The tiger felt the cold wind on her body, telling her that she still was outside. Though, she still had her cloak, a small comfort in this weather. Tigress then realized that she wasn't wearing her bag. It had been on her back when she had tried to escape, but the Shadow Warriors must have removed it while she was out. Her maps had been in there. Without them it would be a miracle if she made it home to the Jade Palace.

Tigress lowered her head in defeat. If someone didn't cut her lose, then she would end up dead; the cold and the hunger would kill her. She briefly wondered if she should say anything, if she should try and yell for help. But she had her pride. The great Master Tigress tied up, left for dead. A sight that nobody ever would expect would happen. But here she was, sitting helpless in the cold.

If she just had chosen the Jade Palace… The thought was mocking her, telling her that she again had failed. It was her own fault that she was in this situation. If… If she had stayed with her friends, then what would have happened? Would her future then have been happy? The questions were haunting her, taking the last energy she had left.

The thought of dying had never really bothered Tigress. She knew that it was going to happen someday, but she had always thought that it would be in a battle. That she would give her life for kung fu. But dying here, alone, with nobody knowing where she was, was scaring her. What would Master Shifu and the others in the Jade Palace do? They had to find out that she was missing some day. Mei-Hua was probably in the Valley of Peace now, believing that she was hiding there. What would her mother do when she realized that she wasn't there?

The sound of footsteps brought her away from her thoughts. As the sound became stronger, Tigress pulled her lips back into a snarl. She kind of hoped that it was the Shadows Warrior, so she didn't scared a possible rescuer away. But soon, she could feel cold steel under her chin, a knife, forcing her to look up. Though, the blindfold wasn't removed.

"Your name?" A rough voice asked her. Tigress, feeling the unsaid threat, searched through her brain. A memory came. Enlai asking her what her name was…

"Lu Chu." Tigress answered quickly, not believing that they actually knew Lu Chu, the maid that was working in the Dragon Palace.

Tigress heard the Shadow Warrior chuckle, but when she tried to move the knife stopped her. "Well, why don't you just tell us when Master Tigress changed her name? We all want to hear that."

His words stunned Tigress, taking away her ability to speak. They knew who she was. But how much did they know? Tigress closed her mouth again, deciding not to talk before they would ask her a question again.

"Nothing to say, huh?" He continued to mock her. "Do you know what we took from you while you were sleeping?"

Tigress was still not saying anything. She knew that he was trying to humiliate her, but she wasn't going to let him do it.

"Can you tell us where you have gotten the map to our mountain?" He pressed the knife closer, demanding an answer this time. Tigress then realized that dying here would be foolish if she actually had a chance to trick them. If her father was their leader… Then they maybe could lead her to him. She just needed to say the right things.

"I stole it." Tigress replied, telling them the truth. The tiger had been sensing that there was more than one Shadow Warrior in front of her, and her feeling was confirmed when she heard another voice speak.

"Why don't we just go straight to the point?" The new voice barked.

The warrior that was holding the knife sighed. "Jie."

"Did Mei-Hua send you?" Jie asked again, but Tigress didn't as much as open her mouth. A part of her already hated this Jie. Apparently, Tigress wasn't the only one who was tired of him.

"Jie." The still un-named warrior sighed again and removed the knife from Tigress' throat.

"Are you here to spy?"

"Jie! Can you please shut up?" It worked, and Jie became silent. Only some growls could be heard. Before the person that Tigress believed was the leader could speak again, Tigress did it.

"I can't see, but I know who you are." She said with a steady voice, showing them that she wasn't scared of them. "You are the Shadow Warriors."

There was a shocked mumbling, and Tigress realized that all the masked warriors she had seen before they had sedated her, was now staring at her. She growled again, telling them to keep a distance.

"And I know who you are." The leader began. "But what I don't know is why the great Master Tigress is on our mountain only carrying a blanket, two maps and a doll." Tigress could nearly see him smirk at the last part.

When Tigress had left the Dragon Palace she had brought the little figure that Enlai had made to her with her. No one knew about it; Tigress had managed to get it in her bag without Lu Chu noticing it. It would just be too painful if she had to let go of the gift Enlai had given her.

Tigress could feel her cheeks burn when she heard one of the Shadow Warriors laugh. "Now, tell me why you are here." The leader told her again.

"I have a message for Jiao-Long." Tigress replied. The forest became as silent as dead. Then a voice she recognized as Jie's barked at her. "Liar!"

"Calm down, Jie, and let her explain herself."

"The only message she could have is a message from Mei-Hua. She is her student, Wang. What else should she…?"

Tigress caught him off. "I am not her student! Not anymore…" She trailed off, the memories overwhelming her. Suddenly, the blindfold was taken away from her eyes and Tigress was able to see again. Though there wasn't the big different; it was night, and Tigress' eyes still hadn't gotten used to the freedom they had gotten back.

When she finally was able to see details, she could see the felines' eyes staring at her, some angrily, others confused. Tigress returned their glances with cold eyes. She noticed that some of them were holding her things; the nearly empty bag, the maps and the sculpture.

Tigress then focused on Wang, the leader that was closest to her. He looked like he was in deep thoughts. Another Shadow Warrior was standing a little behind him, glaring daggers at her. Tigress guessed that he was Jie. And when he started to talk, there was no doubt about it.

"You do not seriously believe her, do you?" He asked Wang, leaving Tigress out of the conversation.

"We haven't heard anything from the Dragon Palace in a while now. Many things could have happened without our notice." Wang calmly said.

But Jie wasn't convinced. "Why isn't she just lying? She is probably just as good liar as her master."

Wang was about to answer when another warrior spoke. "Uhm, Wang? You might want to have a look at this." He said, holding up the figure. Tigress growled at him. If he dropped the gift, then she would make him wish that he hadn't as much as touched it.

"Not now." Wang said shortly, then returning back to Jie. "And if she isn't lying, then Master is going to kill us. We have to wait before taking any conclusions, Jie."

"Wang, you seriously should see this." The warrior said again, sounding a little nervous. The leader finally stopped talking with Jie, and turned his attention towards the warrior, who threw the figure to him. Wang easily caught it with his paws, and looked it over. After some seconds, his eyes widened.

"Enlai is going to kill you." The warrior said, sitting on a rock with some others who all were wearing serious faces.

Tigress froze when they mention her friend's name. Enlai? How did they know him? No… No! This was too much for her brain. Finding out that Mei-Hua was her mother had been hard enough. But finding out that Enlai was a Shadow Warrior? Why couldn't anyone just be who she thought they were?

Wang seemed shocked too. While staring at her, he silently handed the tree figure to Jie. After studied it, he nodded to the others. "Enlai definitely made this." He declared, throwing the figure to a random Shadow Warrior.

"You are so dead when Enlai finds out that you have captured his girl." The warrior said, smirking.

"You were the one who sedated her." A feline pointed out, causing the smile on the warrior's face to disappear. They all glanced at Wang, unsure of what to do.

Hesitating a little, he walked closer to the tied up Tigress and kneeled down on her level. "Enlai sent you?"

Tigress nodded, too stunned to say anything. The words 'his girl' had just been too much. She was sure that she was blushing, even though she would do anything to hide it.

"Wait a minute." Jie said, walking closer to her. "Prove to us that you aren't lying. Describe Enlai."

It didn't take Tigress long time to remember her friend. Now it was just about saying the right things. "Enlai is the tiger who works at the gardener in the Dragon Palace. He has brown golden eyes and a sharp tongue. He can be charming if he wants, but mostly he is just painfully annoying."

Tigress turned her head, when she heard a warrior chuckle. "That's Enlai. No doubts at all."

As Wang looked her into her eyes again, Tigress didn't look away. After some time Wand was convinced. He held up his knife again, but this time he didn't threatened her. "If I cut you lose, would you then punch me in my face?"

Tigress snorted. "Probably not, but I can't promise that I won't touch the idiot over there." She glanced at Jie who answered with a growl.

One of the Shadow Warriors laughed. "Please hit him, girl. Maybe then he can learn some manners." Jie gave him a dead stare, telling everyone to shut up.

Wang seemed to trust her and cut off the robe that was holding her. Tigress rubbed her wrists, while keeping an eye on Wang, making sure that he wasn't going to attack her again. "Can I have my stuff back now?"

A warrior gave Tigress her bag, and when she checked it she saw that all her things were lying in it. Satisfied, she placed it on her back again.

But Jie wasn't finished with her. "And what is this important message that you have?" He asked her, arms crossed in front of his chest. His green eyes were looking directly into hers.

"I didn't say that it was for you to hear, did I? The message is for Jiao-Long, not you." Tigress sneered. "And now I must be going." She started leave, but was stopped when Wang stepped in front of her.

"You aren't going anywhere. We will lead you to Master Jiao-Long, but right now we will rest. Tomorrow we can start out travel." He said with a steady voice.

"And when will I be able to meet Jiao-Long?" Tigress asked him.

"Tomorrow night I guess. Now sleep." He demanded.

Tigress did what she was told and found her blanket. It would be much easier when they were showing the way to her father. Again the thought sneaked up on her; what would he say when he met her? She shivered slightly; Tigress didn't know if it was because of the wind or the fear or being rejected. Before she drifted into sleep, she noticing that Jie and another Shadow Warrior still was up. They were probably standing guard; making sure that nobody else was entering or leaving their camp.

The tiger hoped that her friends were safe. She couldn't help but wonder where Enlai was now. Tigress tried to forget the fact that he was a Shadow Warrior. She was just so angry at him for not telling her the truth. He had been her friend and she had trusted him.

Closing her eyes, Tigress tried to fall asleep. But the thoughts kept haunting her and there went long time before she actually could rest. And when she finally was sleeping, she was having a dream about shadows, tigers and palaces.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, who of you thought that Enlai actually just was a gardener? Was it a surprise? Are you excited to see how Jiao-Long will react when he sees his daughter? Are you annoyed of me because I keep asking questions?


	15. Reasons To Hate Blizzards

A/N: *dancing around in my room* Thank you so so so much for your reviews! I have never gotten this many reviews! I have to admit that my ultimate goal is one hundred reviews… If we reached that I will go crazy of happiness…

A special thanks to all of you new who has reviewed.

Just a little information for you; Wang and Jie aren't going to be some big characters. I just needed some names and personality to some few of the Shadow Warriors.

No I don't own Kung Fu Panda (How I hate repeating that)

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Reasons To Hate Blizzards **

Tigress had never really had a love for snow. But right now she hated it. One thing was a little fine snow that children could play in, another thing was a merciless snowstorm. And that happened to be the thing that Tigress was fighting against right now. With her stuff on her bag and the cloak around her, Tigress followed the Shadow Warriors through the heavy snow.

"Nice weather, huh? Nothing like you is used to in your palace." One of the masked warriors yelled at her. Tigress decided not to answer; she had quickly found out that not all was just as friendly against her as others.

After all she was the intruder, the enemy's student and, according to them, Enlai's girl. But she enjoined their company compared to be back with Mei-Hua. Then she didn't mind their angry eyes or their mocking words. She was strong and she could handle it.

Tigress thanked her many years of training when she barely dodged a flying snowball. Turning around, she saw a feline with a way too big smile on his face. Snarling, Tigress felt how her paws were itching to dig down in the snow and give the jerk with he deserved… But no, that would be disgraceful. She was a kung fu warrior, and she didn't throw snowballs.

And before she could react, she was in pushed into the snow. Not playfully, but hard. And Tigress knew who had done it without looking up. Apparently, Jie had been born with a hate to her. Well, it was not like she was a big fan of him either. But how she wished that he would just disappear; it would make her trip with the Shadow Warriors much easier.

Avoiding his eyes, Tigress stood up and brushed the snow of her body. Jie watched her calmly, waiting for her reactions. What he didn't know was that the revenge would come from behind him. A snowball hit him perfectly in the back of his head, causing him to stumble a little forward. He turned around and growled at the bunch of warriors that was laughing hard, nearly howling.

"Are you enjoying that snow, Jie?" One of them managed to gasp out while laughing.

Jie growled again and leaped towards them, ready to make them pay for the snowball. Even Tigress had to smile when she saw the masked warriors rolling around in the snow like little children. Though, after some time Wang grew tired of them and decided to stop the fun.

"Fun's over, boys. We got to keep moving." He yelled trough the cold wind. After some disappointed mumbling and the last snowballs had been thrown after a target, the Shadow Warriors slowly started to become serious again.

Tigress sighed; it was only noon and they would first be at Jiao-Long's house in the late evening. Again she felt the butterflies in her stomach when she thought about her dad. The Shadow Warriors apparently didn't know that she was his daughter. Tigress believed that Jiao-Long hadn't told them about her and maybe she just didn't look like him.

When she was a little cub in the orphanage she had dreamed of this heroic father that would come and save her from the cruel people that were taunting her. So many hours had she been waiting, staring at the door while hoping that it would open to reveal him standing there. But it never opened. At least not for her. Her parents never came back for her, they never saved her. Shifu had. It was him who had taken her out of the orphanage, it was him who had taught her kung fu and it was him that had giving her something to live for. And she had turned her back to him. She had chosen another master over him. And she was regretting it so badly.

Tigress wanted to know why her parents hadn't come. She wanted to hear their excuses. And the only way to get them was by talking with her father.

A part of her mind had kept the unreal imagination of this wonderful, brave father, and Tigress was scared of being disappointed when she saw him. Mei-Hua had told her that they Shadow Warriors were evil, but wasn't she that too? Tigress was raised to protect people from evil, but would she be able to fight her own parents?

"Princess, are you frozen back there? I told you to hurry up!"

Tigress silently growled, but abandoned her thoughts. She didn't really want problem right now, so it was easier just to do what Wang told her to.

* * *

><p>The snowstorm was even worse now, and Tigress had to squint to protect her eyes. "Wang!" She tried to call his name, but the wind took her words before he could hear them. "Wang!" The snow was taken much of her sight, and she could only see some blurry black shapes in the white.<p>

"Wang!" Suddenly he was in front of her, his green eyes staring into hers. "Are we there soon?" She yelled again, her voice and body shivering in the cold. It was long time since she had lost the feeling in her ears and fingers.

"The mission had been changed. We are not going to Jiao-Long."

"What?" Tigress snarled with a voice full with disbelieves and anger.

Wang remained calm. "You heard what I said. Continuing climbing this mountain in this weather is suicide!"

"So you are saying that after all I have been doing to get here then I am just going to give up?" Tigress snorted, lightning in her eyes.

"Let me make this very simple. Right now you have two choices; you can follow us to a shelter so we can rest in some days to it is safe to go outside again or you can try and find Jiao-Long alone and freeze to death."

Seconds passed before Tigress answered him. "Which way should I go to find him?"

"You got to be kidding me!" Wang growled. "Do you want to die?"

"What I want is to talk with Jiao-Long as quick as possible. And believe me when I say that a little snow isn't going to stop me."

"Fine. Fine!" Wang hold up his hands in despair. "Do whatever you want. I don't care! If you want to see Jiao-Long then you just have to continue that way." He showed the tiger with his paw which road she should take. If Tigress' eyes were right then she would have to go further upward the mountain.

Tigress shortly nodded before turning her back to him. She wasn't going to stay with the Shadow Warriors in some days just because of some stupid snow. Wang walked towards the others and said something to them that Tigress couldn't hear.

"You are crazy!" One of the felines' yell was heard through the wind. Tigress decided to ignore him and started to walk without even looking back.

* * *

><p>When Tigress fell again she had a hard time with getting up. Every part of her body was stiff from the cold, and she constantly flexing her fingers to try and get the feeling back. Her cloak was wet from the snow; not helping her situation at all.<p>

"Just a little further. You can do this. You just have to stand up." Tigress wasn't even realizing that she was talking to herself, though it sounded more like mumbling because her lips now only could do small movements.

With some trouble, she shakily stood up. Tigress' brain imagined the warmth in the Jade Palace, herself surrounded by friends while drinking Po' soup that slowly thawed her up. A weak sob escaped her throat but quickly became to a growl. She couldn't let herself be weak now.

Fighting the wind, she continued walking. Her eyes were focused on the ground so the snow wouldn't irritate them even more. Tigress prayed that she actually was going to right way; she had followed Wang's instructions as good as she could, but the storm was making it hard.

Again, Tigress' foot slipped and she found herself in the snow. That was when the anger came. Tigress growled and smashed her paw into the white snow. Again and again she clawed it to no avail. Snow was snow, and snow couldn't feel. But Tigress could. She turned her head to the sky and roared. A roar full of pain and hopelessness.

When she was done, Tigress collapsed in the snow. Why was she even here? She should just have stayed at the Jade Palace at the beginning. Master Shifu had once called her stubborn and now Tigress understood what he meant. Sometimes she could just be so stupid! She had been so foolish to think that she actually could find a real parent that would care for her. Tigress made a dark chuckle and laid her head down in the snow. She was just so tired… No! Tigress forced herself up on her legs again. She knew what would happen if she fall asleep out in the cold, and she wasn't ready for that yet.

Tigress wouldn't give up now. A real warrior never quits. Tigress smiled weakly at the memory of Po's words. She had to admit that she missed that panda right now. She missed all of her friends right now. Master Shifu, Po, Viper, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, Piao, Lu Chu and Enlai. Especially Enlai. But still, she wasn't going to let him get away easy for not telling her that he was a Shadow Warrior.

The tiger lost the sense of time as she walked through the snow. All she could think of was just to continue walking. And when she finally slammed her head directly into a door she just couldn't believe it. Well, it took some time before she realized that it actually was a door.

When Tigress finally dared to believe that it was real, she held her frozen paw up to knock on the door. But before she could touch it, the door opened. An older male tiger was standing in the doorway, his eyes scanning her. Aware of how she must look, a frozen tiger covered in snow, Tigress tried not to be ashamed.

In long time the tigers just stared at each other, the storm outside howling. Tigress was the first to speak. "I am…"

"I know who you are." He cut her off. He scratched his neck, eyes not leaving Tigress that was waiting for him to say more. "Then come in." He sighed and stepped aside so Tigress could enter.

The warmth was the first thing that Tigress noticed. She quickly took of her wet and frozen cloak. Then she turned to Jiao-Long who hadn't done anything else than closing the door. Tigress was a little unsure and waited for something to happen. Finally, it was herself that started the conversation. "You're Jiao-Long?" She asked and was answered with a nod. "I need to talk with you. I…"

"Yuan, please escort Master Tigress to her room." Jiao-Long had turned to a servant, an older raccoon that had suddenly arrived. He gestured Tigress to follow him, but the tiger didn't move a muscle. Instead, she continued staring at Jiao-Long. "No, I am not…" She protested, but again he interrupted her.

"I refuse talking with someone who is so exhausted that she can't even understand her own words. Now, follow Yuan and we can talk tomorrow." Jiao-Long said with a voice that told her that this couldn't be discussed.

Finally, Tigress moved her eyes away from him and did was she was told. Sure enough, she was tired and a warm bed sounded like heaven right now. Tigress followed Yuan who looked at her with warm eyes, but did not say a word. The situation felt familiar for the tiger, and she then remembered her first night in the Dragon Palace. And the same thing happened as for four months ago; Tigress fell asleep before her head touched the pillow.

* * *

><p>Tigress murmured softly while she slowly woke up. Her body was wrapped in a thick blanket, making her to forget everything about yesterday's cold. When Tigress opened her eyes, they widened. For a moment she had forgotten what had happened and where she was. She slowly sat up, legs crossed, and looked at her surroundings.<p>

She was in what Tigress believed was the guest room. A few pictures were hanging on the wall and then there was the big bed Tigress was laying on and beside that a bed table. The door cracked open and a servant that Tigress recognized as Yuan walked in.

"Master Jiao-Long wants you to eat this before your conversation." He said and gave her a tray with a bowl of soup and a cup with water. Then he left the room, and Tigress was alone again.

Tigress smiled softly; compared to yesterday's hard travel then this was pure pampering. No snow and no wind, just a warm bed. While she ate Tigress started to get herself ready for her meeting with her dad. She tried to remember last night.

His eyes were still clear in her memory; dark, hard eyes that could see just through her. His face has been like stone, and Tigress knew that it never would show fear. She just knew it. Her father, the hardcore tiger, just like her.

When she was finished, she jumped of the bed and walked towards the door. But her paw stopped just before it could touch the doorknob. Instead she brought the paw to her head and gently brushed fur with it. She did the same on her arms, trying to repairing the wind's damaged on her fur. Tigress had learned when she was little that she to make a good impression, and this situation reminded her too much of the orphanage.

There were no mirrors, but when Tigress felt like she was ready she opened the door and walked out on the hallway. And of course she had to stop there. Tigress didn't exactly know where she should meet Jiao-Long. She silently growled for being that nervous. Picking a random door she walked closer, but froze when she heard someone clearing their throat. She turned around to see Yuan, his eyes and mouth were smiling at her.

"Please follow me, Master Tigress." Relieved, Tigress followed him through the halls and finally, Yuan opened a door. Tigress entered the room, and her eyes immediately saw Jiao-Long sitting on a chair with a table in front of him, waiting for her. When the door closed behind her, Tigress walked closer and took place on the chair in front of her father.

"You wanted to talk?" Jiao-Long said after some time. Tigress nervously clenched her firsts.

"Yes, I…" Tigress had trouble with finding the right words. What could she say? 'Hi dad, I just walked by and thought that you might want to know that I am your daughter. So now I can stay with you and we can live happily ever after!' Nope, that wouldn't work.

Tigress closed her eyes for a moment. "How much do you know about me?"

"Enough."

Surprised, Tigress opened her eyes again and glanced at him. There he was, the tiger of stone, calm as ever. He reminded her a little of Enlai with his thick, dark stripes and muscular building. But the way he acted was different. Enlai was shifting between friendly and annoying, but Jiao-Long was hard, cold, calm and proud. He was leader, and Tigress couldn't help but feel small in his presence. A sleeveless, dark green shirt was covering his chest, and he was wearing black pants. Pretty simple after all.

Tigress forced her eyes away from her father. "Then you must know that I have been Mei-Hua's student and right now I am on the run. I would appreciate if you don't tell her where I am."

"And why do you think that I would do that?"

Not able to find an answer, Tigress just shrugged. "I needed to find you because I heard some rumors. I… I believe that you are my father." She stopped, waiting for an answer.

"You were wrong."

The time seemed to stop. "You're… You're not my father?" Tigress carefully asked, with the feeling that her stomach was full of rocks. Had she gotten so far for nothing?

"I didn't say that, did I?"

"Then what did you mean?"

Jiao-Long folded his paws. "You should have stayed in the Jade Palace."

"I know that. I know that!" Tigress growled at the last sentence. "I know that, and believe me when I say that I am regretting my choice. But I just thought that I actually could find my parents. I thought that when I left with Mei-Hua and I thought that when I decided to find you." Tigress paused, trying to calm herself down after her outburst. "Are you my dad?"

"I am impressed that you have gotten so close to the truth. Am I right when I say that it wasn't your mother who told you this?"

"She didn't tell me anything, but I can say that I had friends who helped me. But you haven't answered my question yet."

"I have to admit that I never imagined that you would become a student of Master Shifu. But with your mother's and my blood, you were destined to become something great."

"How do you know all this?" Tigress demanded, again sure about the fact that she right now was sitting in front of her father.

"I couldn't just leave you at Bao Gu and not knowing what would happen later in your life. My spies have been doing their job well."

Tigress felt how her blood first became ice, and then in a flash started boiling. The anger took control, and the female tiger rose from her chair so quickly that it fell to the floor. "You knew? You knew where I was all that time and didn't even visit me? You knew that I was your daughter, but yet you didn't care!"

"A child like you has no right to speak like that to me." Jiao-Long thundered, and stood up as well.

Tigress snorted. "A child, that is all I am for you, isn't it? But not _your_ child! You don't want me as a daughter and I have wasted my time coming here. I am leaving now." Tigress turned around, barely able to keep her anger in control. Her fists were shaking, screaming for something to hit.

"The storm is not over. If you go out there, then you'll die of cold. If you use your brain and stay here, then I can tell you my story."

Tigress stopped in the doorway. She was angry, no, furious at the tiger. But still, he had a point. She had been lucky yesterday, and the Shadow Warriors had showed her the way. If she went out alone, then she wouldn't have a chance. And after all, maybe Jiao-Long had a good excuse that she hadn't heard yet.

The female tiger turned around, deciding to stay. Her golden eyes didn't leave her father's. "Then speak."

* * *

><p>AN: Phew! That was hard to write! Cold father, huh? But (as Tigress said) we haven't heard his excuse yet. So many secrets will be revealed in the next chapter (that will come soon)!


	16. Similarities

A/N: And here is the chapter we have been waiting for. I am glad you liked my last one; I found it hard to write. And (once again) thanks for the reviews!

I don't own Kung Fu Panda! I don't, I don't, I don't! Sorry, I just lost the control…

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Similarities **

Tigress sat down again, realizing her situation. Now she could get the answers she had been searching for in so long time. Maybe her father acted like he was better than her, but she was going to show him how strong she really was.

Jiao-Long's eyes studied her. "I'll speak if you will listen. And that means no interruptions."

The younger tiger nodded, accepting his deal. But the not speaking part could be hard. She would need to be patient, and that was something that was hard for her.

"Your mother was, and still is, a beautiful woman. We were both young when we met, young and naïve. Both believing that the world could be ours. So sure of ourselves… Your mother was already the Dragon Queen, and I was just a soldier. She already had power, and I was still fighting for it. The day we met we talked shortly and ended falling in love." His eyes were distant, seeing the old scene in his mind.

"The masters in the Dragon Palace weren't really pleased with me. They hadn't expected that a simple soldier should be living in their palace. But as you probably know, your mother has a special talent when it comes to convince people of what to do. Of course they ended up changing their mind when they found out that their Dragon Queen was pregnant. It is extremely important that there always is a Dragon Queen. If she passed away, then the daughter would be the next when she grew up."

Tigress watched her father that now again was back on his chair. The thought about herself being the next Dragon Queen was filling her mind.

"I stayed with your mother in a year before I left with you."

"Why did you leave?" Tigress asked, not able to keep curiosity in control.

"I said no interruptions!" Jiao-Long sneered, glaring at his daughter with hard eyes. She returned the glance without even blinking. "As the Dragon Queen your mother serves the dragons. It was her destiny and she did it with honor. She was sure that I would do the same. But I don't bow to anyone."

Tigress didn't find it hard to believe that. The proud tiger that never would serve anybody else than himself.

"The dragons aren't my master; no one is. But she wouldn't understand. You know that your mother is short-tempered, and I have heard that you should be the same." He said, causing a warning sneer to escape from Tigress' mouth. "When she heard my thoughts she became mad. If I wouldn't serve the dragons then I couldn't stay in the Dragon Palace. She told me to leave, but I took you with me."

"And then you left me at Bao Gu?" Tigress ignored the glance he sent her.

"I heard about the Valley of Peace and decided to go there. There weren't really any troubles on the travel, and when I saw the orphanage I let you stay there. And you know the rest of the story." Jiao-Long stopped talking, and laid his glance on her. "Any questions?" He asked annoyed, reminding her of her interruptions while he had spoken.

"Plenty." Tigress spat. "Why did you leave me? Why didn't you just…"

"Raise you by myself?" He finished for her. "Can you imagine me taking care of a child?" He snorted, and Tigress had to give him right. Maybe it was good that she hadn't grown up with him.

"Why not just have left me with Mei-Hua? Why did you take me away from her?" Tigress asked again, happy to finally get some answers.

Jiao-Long's dark eyes looked straight into hers. "If I hadn't gotten you away from there, then you would have ended up being just like your mother. Though, you still remind me of her."

Tigress knew that he was right. Actually, she was grateful that he had saved her from such of fate. Mei-Hua would have made sure that her daughter would grow up to be exactly the daughter she wanted. The Dragon Palace would have had two Mei-Huas.

Yes, Tigress knew that she looked like her mother. But she was also different, and she would make sure that it stayed that way.

"You said that you had spies. If you knew where I was, then why didn't you…"

"What do you think would have happened if I just walked into the Jade Palace? You must learn to think by yourself, girl. You could have lived your own life perfectly without even knowing about me and your mother. That is the reason to why I left you at the orphanage; so _you _could live _your_ life. But obviously your mother didn't want it that way."

"I am… Was a part of the Furious Five." Tigress corrected herself. "She must have heard of me years ago. Why waiting until now to get me?"

"Your mother is a mysterious woman. How she ended up in the Dragon Palace has always been a mystery to me."

"She told me that she had never known her parents." Tigress silently muttered.

"Exactly. But still, she is the Dragon Queen. One day the Elders started to get suspicious. She needed to prove that she really was the Dragon Queen and what could be better than showing them her daughter with the golden eyes? You were the proof without you even knowing it."

"She used me…" Tigress suddenly noticed a pain in her chest. Of course her mother hadn't wanted her, she had just needed her. The younger tiger turned her head away from her father, not wanting him to see her hurt.

"Do you know how much time I have spent waiting on you?" She asked, her voice bitter. "How I kept hoping that you would come back? How I always dreamed of you? Do you know how much it hurts when you realize the truth? How disappointed you are? Not because you didn't want me, but because I was foolish enough to believe it. Do you know the feeling when you understand that your parents don't want you? That no one wants you?" A single tear escaped her eyes, and she quickly brushed it away. "Do you know?" She asked again, turning back to Jiao-Long.

The male tiger didn't answer. "Do you know?" Tigress roared at him. She stood there panting, staring at her father. She had said what she needed to say, and know she suddenly felt empty. Like she had nothing left.

"You don't want a family, do you? That why you left me and Mei-Hua. But don't worry; as soon as the storm is over I will be gone, and you will never have to think of me again."

Jiao-Long rose from his chair and slowly walked towards her. When he was just in front of her, their bodies nearly touching each other, he started to speak. "People will let you down, that's why the only one you can trust is yourself. Maybe I don't want a family, and then it's my choice. I am not your father any more, I am not your family. Your family is in the Jade Palace. It was Shifu who raised you, not me. I don't care if he wasn't the perfect father, but he is more your father than I am. And if I was you, then I would go back the Jade Palace, ask your family for help and never think about me or your mom again."

With that he walked around the stunned Tigress and left the room, slamming the door behind him. When Tigress was able to move again, she sat down on the chair and buried her head in her paws. Why did Jiao-Long have to be so right? A sob escape her throat and her shoulders started to shake. No! A real warrior doesn't cry. A warrior is strong, not weak. Tigress kept telling herself that, but right now it was hard to follow her own advice.

Master Shifu had been the one who had adopted her, and he had been her father no matter how much he and Tigress denied it. He had been the first person who wasn't scared of her, and he had helped her out of the orphanage. She owed him everything.

And her friends in the Jade Palace… There were more than friends and Tigress knew it. She had just kept the thought away. They were her family. Not her real mother and father, but all them in the Jade Palace. Viper had been right; they were sisters. Family shouldn't leave each other like she had done, and now was the time to make things right. Well, when the weather allowed her to go outside again. Then she would find them and apologize. And hopefully, they would forgive her.

How long she just sat there, Tigress didn't know. But when her breathing was normal and she felt like she was ready, she left the room. There were some more secrets that needed to be revealed.

Tigress found Jiao-Long without Yuan's help. Simply, her ears caught the sound of her father's voice and she just walked towards them. When she found the right room, she just walked in without even knocking, telling them that she was there.

"… and our spies tell me that Mei-Hua have left the Jade Palace some days ago…" The Shadow Warrior immediately stopped talking when he saw Tigress entering the room. The warrior glanced at her, then back to Jiao-Long. The question was visible in his eyes.

"Tell the warriors to be ready. Now, if you please could leave; me and my guest need to talk." Jiao-Long said to the Shadow Warrior, eyes not leaving Tigress. After some moments hesitating, the warrior did was he was told. Giving Tigress a last asking glance, he left the room.

"You still have questions?" Jiao-Long asked her calmly, like he had forgotten their fight last time they had talked.

Tigress walked closer. "I want to talk with you about Enlai."

"I understand that you have feelings for this gardener." Jiao-Long said, causing Tigress to blush and deny it all.

"He is my _friend_. And, after what I have heard, a Shadow Warrior. That means that he must be working for you. Do you know him?"

"I was the one who sent him to the Dragon Palace."

Tigress widened her eyes. "You…"

"When I heard that your mother had brought you to the palace, then I needed someone to keep an eye on you. Enlai is a skilled warrior, and perfect for the mission. And I don't believe that you are unhappy with my choice."

The daughter ignored his comment, eyes flashing. "Then where is he now?"

"Searching for you."

"That wasn't exactly precise…" Tigress muttered annoyed. Though, the thought of Enlai trying to find her was warming her heart. Lu Chu and Piao must have told him what had happened. Then she remembered something. "Mei-Hua has been in the Jade Palace?"

"I don't remember inviting you to that conversation." Jiao-Long said, obviously annoyed of his curious daughter.

"No, but I accidently heard him." Tigress simply answered him. "Is she coming this way?" She asked, going back to the serious subject.

Jiao-Long sighed, and suddenly looked older than Tigress thought he was. "Your mother believed that you were back with Shifu, and when she found out that you weren't hiding the Jade Palace, it was easy for her to figure out that you were trying to find me."

"So Shifu and the others…"

"Are right now not allowed to leave the Jade Palace." Tigress widened her eyes, waiting for him to continue. "Master Lynx and a dozen high trained guards have now surrounded the Valley of Peace. No one can get in or out."

"Wait, do the others know about…"

"If they haven't figured it out by themselves, then I am sure that Shifu has told them it all."

"Shifu knows?"

Jiao-Long chuckled at the look in his daughter's face. "It isn't that hard to tell. Shifu have met your mother before and you are his student. He would be blind if he couldn't see the similarities. You…"

"I look like my mother. I know that; you have said that before." Tigress said, and couldn't help but be surprised when she saw the smile on her father's face. It was little, but still, it was the first time she had seen him smile. And then back to being serious. "Why didn't he tell me?"

Jiao-Long leaned himself closer to her. "Maybe you should ask Shifu about that, and not me."

"How can I come back to the Jade Palace without being caught by Mei-Hua's guards?"

"You should be more concerned about the fact that she soon will be here."

"But with the storm…"

"Your mother doesn't let anything stop her. You should know that. Now, I will suggest you to rest and then we'll see what my warriors have to say about the situation tomorrow." Jiao-Long said, sinking back in his chair.

"Shifu and the others… They aren't in danger, right?" Tigress asked, concerned about her friends' wellbeing.

"They are safe. The guards will only attack if they try to pass them. Shifu isn't stupid, he'll think of a plan. You should be worrying about the problem that is nearing us."

Tigress knew that he again was right. Master Shifu wouldn't let anyone get hurt. That master had something to explain when he saw her again. Why hadn't he told her about her parents? Why hadn't he stopped Mei-Hua? The thought about her mother coming closer to her by any minute made Tigress feel uncomfortable. But if Jiao-Long was so calm, then maybe she should be the same.

Right now, here with her father, Tigress wasn't really that scared of Mei-Hua. Like she was counting on the Jiao-Long would protect her.

Before she walked out of the room, she turned to her father. "You say that I remind you of Mei-Hua. But you know what? You and I also share similarities. Maybe not so much in the look, but that isn't important. We aren't as different as you think we are."

Then she left, silently closing the door behind her. Jiao-Long didn't say a word; he was just staring into nothing. Then a small smile came to his face again.

* * *

><p>AN: So that was chap 16. Maybe a little short, but it felt right ending it there.

Wait! Before you stop reading and leave a review (Which I hoping you do, and if you do, then thank you), then I will like to say something. Because now I have a little question you readers. There is something special in this chapter about Jiao-Long, and I would like to see if any of you can figure out what it is. Of course I will reveal it in the next chapter (it is actually important). Let me give you a hint; try to look closely at all the things that Jiao-Long have said about Mei-Hua. Hope I didn't confuse you too much, and of course you don't have to do this. Maybe it's a little hard (I don't think that I would be able to do it). Well, good luck!


	17. Hidden Pain

A/N: Here I am with my chap! Has somebody missed me? (Or the next chap?) So, I am proud to say that we have reached my goal which means that I know have over 100 reviews! THANK YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! (NO, I am not freaking out; I am just happy!)

I would say to you that you have answered my question well, though the real answer is that Jiao-Long not once says Mei-Hua's name in the last chap. Only 'the Dragon Queen' or 'your mother'. But then we'll have to find out why, and you have been good to realize Jiao-Longs emotion (I had to give him just some heart.) Well, more about that in this and later chapters.

Sorry for the wait, but don't blame me, blame my homework! I had to write a story in Danish and English (ironic isn't it) and a lot of other things so I didn't really had time for fanfic.

No, I don't own Kung Fu Panda (and I hope you know that now!)

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Hidden Pain **

Tigress walked through the halls, trying to find some way to clear her mind. It was now a day since her talk with her father, and she hadn't seen him since. No one had told her about how the situation in the Valley of Peace was or how close her mother was now. Left in the lack of knowledge, Tigress had tried to find Jiao-Long but with no avail.

Yuan wouldn't tell her anything, and now he was disappeared as well. Even though Tigress wouldn't admit it, she had been come worse to handle being alone. She wished that she could write a letter to Shifu and the others but she knew that Mei-Hua's guard would never let it pass.

Her ears were trying to catch any sound of voices, but there was dead quiet. Jiao-Long knew this place much better than Tigress, and if he wanted to be a place where she couldn't find him, then it would easy for him to just hide from her. For Tigress this place just seemed to grow bigger as she explored more. And when the hall ended, she let her curiosity win and opened the door that was in front of her.

Tigress found herself in a training hall. First it was like a punch in the stomach, painfully reminding her of her time in the Jade Palace. Then it suddenly became calming, like she actually was back at home again. Still, it was smaller than the training she knew, but right now it was perfect. She slowly walked towards some equipment, and with a smile on her face she attacked.

The sense of time was gone; all she could do was just continuing training. All her problems went away because she had something else to think of. And then, suddenly she stopped. The sound of a slow clapping had taken her attention. As she turned around, sweating and panting, she saw her father standing calmly, his shoulder against the wall.

He stopped clapping and walked towards her. "I see Shifu at least have taught you something."

Tigress watched him, and then she suddenly knew what to do. "Fight me." She said, taking her battle stance.

"What?" It was like she just had told a not-fun joke. Jiao-Long stared at her full of disbelieve, but also amused.

"Fight me." The younger tiger repeated, not moving at all. Her golden eyes were focused on her father's form, waiting for him to do something. Then, finally after what felt like minutes, the leader of the Shadow Warriors lifted his arm into his stance. It briefly reminded Tigress of Shifu's individual training.

Tigress leaped forward and made a kick towards his stomach, but he quickly blocked it and sent her some meters away from him again. Growling, Tigress tried again this time aiming for his head. But again, he was too fast. The younger tiger started to get frustrated; why couldn't she even touch him. She had been trained nearly all her life, she was a great fighter and had been the leader of the Furious Five, so why couldn't she defeat him?

Jiao-Long didn't try and attack her at all, he just blocked hers. And that didn't really help Tigress to be calm. With a furious roar she tried again and again…

"You are letting your anger control you." Jiao-Long calmly said as he grabbed Tigress' paw and stopped her from attacking. The younger tiger struggled in her father's grasp and with eyes like daggers she glared at him.

"At least I feel something!" Tigress spat out through gritted teeth. A second after she found herself on the floor. When she slowly got up again, her father had left the room. Tigress growled and slammed her fist on the ground.

Kung fu was something she and her father had in common. She had thought that it was something they could do together. But again she had destroyed anything. Jiao-Long was right; she could never control her anger. Shifu had helped her a lot, but still…

Tigress was just so angry at her parents. Or maybe she was just disappointed. The children in the Valley of Peace seemed so happy with a mother that would hug them and a father that would protect them. She had grown up without her parents and when they then finally found her then they didn't care about her.

But still, Tigress cared about them. She didn't want her father to be mad at her, and the feeling of guilt wouldn't leave her stomach. She shouldn't have said it. In too long time people had thought that she couldn't feel, that she didn't had any emotions. Her saying that to another person was just wrong. Sighing, Tigress got up and tried to find her father.

* * *

><p>"I apologize." Tigress said as she entered the room. Jiao-Long stood with arms crossed waiting and a face that definitely didn't look happy. Tigress comforted herself with the fact that he at least had let her come in. She sighed again and continued. "I should be the last one to say that."<p>

"The storm's over. You can leave if you want." Jiao-Long told her, studying his daughter.

"I'm not going to leave. Not before I have talked with you." Tigress walked closer, looking into her father's eyes. If Jiao-Long was going to test her then he could do that. Tigress knew what she had to say before she would go.

"You know that I am daughter and you knew where I was. You stayed away because you wanted to protect me. I believe that you were right. I wish that Mei-Hua hadn't found me, that I still was living in the Jade Palace. But my mother found me and I found you." She paused for a moment. "Maybe you aren't the biggest part of my life, and maybe you could have done things on a better, different way. But that's the past and we can't change that."

Jiao-Long didn't say anything, but Tigress could see that he was listening.

"I don't belong in the Dragon Palace and I don't belong here. But the Jade Palace is my home. I know that now. I have taken decisions that I am regretting. You were right when you told me that I should have stayed in the Jade Palace."

"Your mother will be here soon."

The time stood still and the room became ice cold. Tigress could feel the air on the neck rise. "How soon?" She asked with an empty voice.

"Less than a couple of hours."

"Can't you stop her?" Tigress asked again. He was the leader of the Shadow Warriors and yet he wasn't going to do anything?

"You are her daughter. You aren't a little cub anymore, I can't protect you."

Tigress just stared at him, stunned. "Are you going to talk with her?"

Jiao-Long made a dark chuckle. "The real question is if she is going to talk with me."

"You can try."

"You think that it's that easy?" He snarled, eyes glaring daggers at her. "I took away her child. Our child. Do you really think that she can forgive me for that?"

"You tried to protect me. You had your reasons." Tigress told him, staring back at him.

Jiao-Long just snorted. "It doesn't matter. You will have left then, she won't find you."

"But what about you? She will find you. What are you going to tell her?"

"You think I am scared of her?" Jiao-Long voice was like thunder.

"You have used your whole life avoiding her. You have lived alone on a mountain far away from anyone."

"Yes, I have. But look what I have spent my time with. I am the leader of the Shadow Warriors. All the time the villagers are whispering about _they_ then it is because of me. I have tried fighting the dragons with the Shadow Warriors, I…" He trailed of, and took a deep breath. Tigress could see how he tried the calm down.

"Your mother isn't the problem. If you want someone to blame then find the dragons."

Tigress shook her head. "I am not trying to blame anyone. All I want is to be ready to leave."

"Yuan filled your bag with what you need. Take it." He handed her the bag that had been leaning against the wall. Tigress grabbed it and pulled it close to her. She looked away from him avoiding his eyes. "You still care about her, don't you?"

Jiao-Long froze, his ears flat against his skull. "Watch your words, girl."

But Tigress continued, ignoring his warning. "You can't even say her name."

"You are a fool!" Jiao-Long turned and started to leave, but Tigress stopped it before he could.

"Then say it." The younger tiger challenged him.

Jiao-Long opened his mouth, but that was it. No sound came out. Then he stormed pass her, door slamming as he left the room.

Tigress remained standing, unsure of what to do. She felt truly sorry for her father; he had been forced the leave the woman he loved. He must have felt so alone, even if he wouldn't admit it to her. Jiao-Long stilled loved her mother, Tigress was sure of that. But what did Mei-Hua feel?

The tiger sighed; she had started with apologizing to her father but had ended up making it all worse. Mei-Hua was getting closer and it was only a matter of time before she would be there. And Tigress wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let herself being caught by the Dragon Queen again.

Walking out on the hallway, Tigress once again tried to find her father. But he had disappeared and Tigress finally had to give up it; was not like she could spend all her time on that. As she opened the door that lead to the room where she last had seen Jiao-Long, Tigress realized that she wasn't alone. A raccoon was staring at her, the needed bag in his paw.

"Looking for this?" Yuan asked, and handed her the bag. Tigress had left it when she started her search, but she had to get it before she could go.

"Thanks." She muttered, and placed it on her back. "Have you seen…?"

"Jiao-Long has made it clear that he don't want to talk with you. But Master Tigress, one of the Shadow Warrior said that the Dragon Queen would be here soon. If you don't want her to find her then you must leave now."

"I know." Tigress sighed. "Yuan, when you see him, then please tell Jiao-Long that I am sorry and the Jade Palace's doors are open for him."

Yuan nodded. "I will tell him, Master Tigress."

Tigress bowed for him and then left the room. It only took short time before she found the right door, and was outside again. The snow was covering the ground in a thick layer, perfectly untouched. No snowflakes were coming from the sky much to Tigress' joy.

The tiger turned to the house that was carved inside the cliff of the mountain. Only the front was visible. Then Tigress did something that her father hadn't been able to so many years ago. "Goodbye father."

With that she left, starting the travel back to her home. The Jade Palace was her goal. She was missing her friends and if she was right then they were missing her too. The warm smile that came when she thought about them comforted her again. She could do this. She could return. She could make her life normal again.

Tigress thought about all the things she must do when she was back at home. First she would have to apologize to Shifu, and hopefully he would forgive her. Of course she owed her friends' an apology too. And then… Then she would just enjoy being back. She would gladly accept any hard training Shifu would give her if it just meant that she could stay.

The problem with Mei-Hua's guards was something that Tigress didn't thought so much about. With her training, then she would be able to sneak pass them. She had to. If they were the only thing between her and her home, then she would not let them stop her.

Tigress walked in an hour, her mind full of happy thoughts. Maybe something good actually could happen for her now. She was on her way home, away from her mother and father. But all those happy thoughts disappeared when she heard the well-known, soft voice.

"Tigress?"

* * *

><p>AN: Short, yes. But at least I finally got it done. I hope I can come up with the next chapter sooner.


	18. The Dragons' Revenge

A/N: Back again! Sorry for the late chap, there has been problem with my internet… *sighs*why can't anything just work? And then I've been lazy… Why can't I just work?

Oh, and this chapter is probably a shocker… I am just so evil! Well, I needed to wake you up from the slumber you got while waiting on me.

Oh, and one more thing; Try and read 'Tigress and Master Proelio' by Krisipiiqen. She's a friend of mine who just started fanfiction so it would be nice if you could check it out ;)

Nope, I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Dragons' Revenge **

"No." Tigress muttered. "No."

This wasn't supposed to happen! Mei-Hua should have arrived in Jiao-Long's house while she was on her way to the Jade Palace. They shouldn't have met each other. But somehow Mei-Hua had taken the same way that Tigress had chosen.

"Tigress?" The older tiger slowly took a step closer to her as if she was scared of that she suddenly would disappear. Mei-Hua held her arms out, but Tigress backed away, sneering.

"Tigress, I…"

"Don't go closer!" Tigress snarled, warning her mother. The younger tiger had taken her fighting stance, while Mei-Hua remained calm.

"I am not here to fight, Tigress." She said, her eyes digging into Tigress'. "If you knew how much I've been looking for you." Her voice was now even softer and nearly broke. "It's time to go home now."

Tigress snorted. "Where? The Dragon Palace? I am not going back and you know it."

"Tigress… Tigress, please listen."

"You didn't tell me. None of you told me…" Tigress's voice was bitter and her eyes hard. Why not just let her mother know that it wasn't a secret anymore?

"No, I didn't." Mei-Hua kept standing where she was, not daring to go any closer. "I wouldn't risk losing you. Not again…"

"You are just like him." Tigress moved her eyes away from the older tiger. "You didn't want me, you never wanted me." She sneered.

"If you just would listen…"

"Why? Tell me one reason to why I shouldn't just leave now." Gold met gold when Tigress stared into Mei-Hua's eyes.

"Because I am your mother!" It came out as a hoarse whisper, almost a sob.

Tigress wanted to say that it was a lie; that Mei-Hua never had been a real mother for her. She wanted to say how much she had hurt her. She wanted to tell her how she felt. But she couldn't. Her body was frozen, but Tigress knew that this time it wasn't Mei-Hua's power. It was the words that Mei-Hua just had said.

"I know I have done things wrong. But if you just could give me a chance…"

For the first time Tigress noticed how broken Mei-Hua looked. Her body was still showing proudness, but her eyes… They seemed so deep as if she was searching for something.

"You had it all planned, didn't you? Master Shifu could take care of me until you actually needed your daughter, and then you would just easily convince me to follow you. It was you who did that I couldn't remember anything before you arrived, so you could make sure that I wouldn't leave your little palace." Tigress said quietly.

"I should have known that you would be strong enough to fight my powers." Mei-Hua said softly, looking her daughter over. "After all you are the next Dragon Queen."

"You're wrong!" Tigress hissed. "I will never be a queen."

"Tigress, that isn't something you can choose. You were born to follow my footsteps."

"Then what about my father? Shouldn't I do like him and become the leader of the Shadow Warriors?"

"Tigress…"

"I can't and won't be any of those things!"

"Tigress, listen to me!" The younger tiger fell quiet by her mother's yell. "I understand that you are angry, but could you please let me speak? When I brought you to the Dragon Palace I thought I had gotten a new student that could secure my position as the Dragon Queen. I didn't believe that my feelings could be a problem, but now I understand that you are my daughter and nothing can change that. Nothing." Silent tears streamed down of her cheeks, but Mei-Hua didn't seem to notice it.

"You're lying." Tigress whispered. She wanted to believe Mei-Hua; the older tiger's words were so enticing. But she couldn't handle another disappointment; she wasn't strong enough. Tears were blurring her own vision as well, no matter how much she tried to stop it.

As she closed her eyes, a tear rolled down. "Go back to the Dragon Palace and live your life as the Dragon Queen. I am going to the Jade Palace and you can't stop me from doing that."

"Tigress…"

But the younger tiger was already gone. Tigress ran, sobs shaking her body. The talk with her mother had been harder than she wanted it to be. She had just broken the last bond with her mother, and honestly she didn't expect to see her father again. Tigress could just as well be an orphan again.

Tigress stopped shortly and leaned her back against a tree. There was no sound of footsteps that revealed that Mei-Hua had run after her. With the back of her paw she brushed the tears away. She growled quietly as she realized that she was heading the wrong way. Mei-Hua had been blocking the way that she should have taken and if she continued walking she would end up being back at her father's house. Now she had to get pass Mei-Hua without getting noticed, and that meant that she had to take a longer road.

Knowing that it was her only choice, Tigress chose the direction that she thought was the safest and started running again.

* * *

><p>Jiao-Long knew that she would come before he heard the door open with a slam. And sure enough, there she stood with hard eyes and a trail of tears down of her cheeks. A second later Yuan arrived, the loud noise alarming him. He looked at his master, unsure if he should greet the guest or kick her out.<p>

"Yuan, I think you could need some fresh air. What about a walk in the nice weather?" Jiao-Long said, eyes not leaving Mei-Hua.

"But…"

"A walk, Yuan."

The raccoon scowled, but did was he was told. While grabbing his cloak, he sent Mei-Hua a glance that told her that all this was her fault. The female tiger returned the glance with ice cold eyes. After the servant left, there was silence.

None of them dared to speak, but then Jiao-Long turned and walked into a new room. Mei-Hua just followed him without any sounds escaping her lips. He gestured her to sit down and she took place in one of the two chairs. Jiao-Long disappeared for a moment and came back with two cups of tea that he placed on the table. Mei-Hua gladly received it; after her trip in the cold she needed something to thaw her up.

"Please don't say that you are inviting me on dinner." She said with the slightest track of mocking in her voice.

"I can't believe that the great Dragon Queen would travel all this way just to get some food." Jiao-Long sat down on the other side of table, studying the female tiger. "I am not good at meaningless talk, so why don't you just tell me why you are here?"

"Is it that hard to see?" Mei-Hua took a sip of her tea. "How long time was she here?"

Jiao-Long folded his paws. "A couple of days. Not that she liked the thought of staying here that long."

"And now she is heading towards the Jade Palace." Mei-Hua sighed.

"You met her?" Jiao-Long was answered with a short nod. "And you let her go?"

"Would could I do? Grab her by the arm and drag her all the way back to the Dragon City?" Mei-Hua snorted at the thought.

"She believes so."

"Of course she won't trust me. She won't even listen! I tried, I really did…"

"You scared her away." Jiao-Long concluded.

Mei-Hua nodded. "I guess you can say so."

"Power and a short temper isn't a good combination. Unfortunately, you have both things." Jiao-Long told her.

"You're so awful right." Mei-Hua answered. Even though the both were acting calm, they were keeping a close eye on each other. Of course they weren't fighting; they were both great kung fu masters, and both could get what they wanted with talking. "She reminds me of myself on that way. Both so sure on what we want. I should have known that it would go wrong."

"You shouldn't have tried to become of part of her life."

Mei-Hua rose from her chair just like Tigress had done when she had talked with the male tiger. "Are you even hearing your own words, Jiao-Long? Of course I am a part of her life; I am her mother!"

"For her you are not."

"You have to realize that no matter how much you refuse to understand it, then she still is our daughter!"

"She doesn't want us to be her parents."

Mei-Hua was nearly glowing of rage, snarling and eyes full of lightning. "You haven't even tried being a father for her!"

And that was when it became too much for Jiao-Long. Also he stood up now, his eyes were daggers. The two felines stared at each other, the rage filling the air in the room. For nearly anyone else just one of them would be a terrifying sight, but none of the kung fu masters showed sign of fear.

"No, I haven't. You tried and look what happened!" He slammed his fist into the wall. "If you opened your eyes you would see that she isn't a little cub any more. She doesn't need you."

"She needs a parent. She grew up without a family because of us, Jiao-Long."

"And that was enough reason to try and take away her old life?" The male tiger asked, removing his glance from the wall.

Mei-Hua stared at him, stunned. "What…?"

"Stealing her memories? Don't you think that you crossed the line there?"

"I could give her a better life. I could give her what she wished if she just had let me do it. If she couldn't remember her old life, then she wouldn't be haunted by it. I was her new master and she has already gotten new friends. She doesn't need her old ones or Shifu…"

"What did he do to deserve your anger?" Jiao-Long asked, sitting down again.

Mei-Hua followed his example. "Excuse me?" It was obliviously that she was confused.

"First you take away his student and now you have imprisoned him in his own palace. I am just curious."

The female tiger sighed. "Tigress isn't his daughter."

"She told me that Shifu had done more for her than me. Than us. You know that it is true."

Mei-Hua closed her eyes, but Jiao-Long continued. "You were gone for twenty-five years. It's too late now." Jiao-Long watched as the female tiger swallowed a sob. Mei-Hua slowly shook her head while one single tear slid down of her cheek.

Jiao-Long sighed and leaned over the table to get closer to her. "Go back to the Dragon City and make sure that your guards will leave the Valley of Peace. Let her go home, Mei-Hua." Her name was strange in his mouth, unused in all those years that had gone by.

She slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can't just abandon her again."

"Give her time. Let her stay in the Jade Palace and then one day you can try again. But you will have to wait for her to be ready."

Mei-Hua nodded, lost in her own thoughts. Finally, she pulled herself together. "You are right." She paused before adding, "Again." She buried her head in her paws as the thoughts became too heavy for her.

Jiao-Long watched her closely without her noticing it. There she was, older of course after all those years, but still the same. He hadn't seen her once since the separation; it was only the Shadow Warriors who entered the Dragon City and himself as the leader stayed at his mountain to lay the new plans.

He had waited patiently for her to return and finally she was here. She was just like he remembered her; powerful, strong, dangerous, always arguing with him for then finally saying that he was right. Nothing new under the sun.

After some time, Mei-Hua looked up from her paws. If you looked closely you could see that they were wet of tears. Though, her face was not sad; more like a thing between weak happiness and determination. "So this is where you have been hiding?" She asked, her eyes glancing around in the room.

"You have already revealed yourself." Jiao-Long said, causing a frown on Mei-Hua's face. "If you didn't know where I was then you wouldn't be here now." Mei-Hua didn't say anything so he had to ask her a question. "So why first coming here now? Why not tell your servants that call themselves 'masters' that I was here?"

But Mei-Hua only answered with another question. "You knew where I was. Why not gathering all your warriors and attack me instead of your little distractions?"

"It is not you I am fighting against."

Mei-Hua widened her eyes. "Would you then please explain why you have been attacking my palace? Was it just for fun? Did the mountain become too boring?" She snarled, poison in every word.

"After what I know then you aren't the one who takes the decisions in the _Dragon_ Palace." Jiao-Long made sure that he put extra weight on the word.

But his sentence only made Mei-Hua's mood worse. A growl escaped her throat, telling him that he had said the wrong thing. "How dare you?" She hissed, eyes daggering him.

Jiao-Long leaned back in his chair, his face amused.

"How dare you imply that I am not the one with the power?" Mei-Hua hissed again.

"So it was your own choice when you abandoned you daughter?"

The female tiger immediately fell quiet. She looked at him as if she had never seen him before. Like he was a stranger. Finally, she managed to get a hoarse whisper out. "That… That wasn't a choice." She did her best to keep her voice steady.

"I see. Then who forced you to do it?" Jiao-Long had her exactly where he wanted, and now she was on the way to reveal herself again. He weakest ghost of a smile appeared; how he loved being right.

"You don't…"

"Was it the same beast who ordered you not to see me again?"

In a flash he was pinned to the wall by the paws of a very furious tiger. "You haven't changed at all! Still no respect for anyone else than yourself!"

To make it all worse, he just laughed. "But that's one of the things of why you love me." His eyes became serious again as he watched her reactions.

First her golden eyes widened, then they turned into slits. "You…"

Jiao-Long gave her a challenging glance, encouraging her to continue. But the only thing he got was a shove on his chest. Mei-Hua walked some meters away from him before stopping, her back against him. "I wasn't the only one who could have done things differently." She said quietly. "We could have talked sooner. We could have found a solution."

"What? Me joining your groups of servants?"

"It's not…" Mei-Hua sighed, before talking again. "It wouldn't have been like that."

"You are their servant, Mei-Hua, and you know it."

"I am not…" She started but was caught off by his lifted eyebrow. "You don't know how powerful they are."

"I have been fighting them in over twenty-five years, and you are saying that I don't know their power? They are controlling you, Mei-Hua. Isn't that a worthy proof of how powerful they are?"

He walked closer to her, and she didn't move. Mei-Hua knew what he wanted and she shook her head. "Jiao-Long, they won't allow it."

"I am not scared of them." He walked even closer, their bodies touched each other.

Mei-Hua met his eyes. "They will kill us." She whispered, telling him the hard truth.

"As I said; I am not scared."

The female tiger sighed and rested her head against his chest. "Twenty-five years is long time." She murmured softly. In over twenty-five years she had been alone. It was twenty-five years since he had left her, taking their daughter with him. In all those years she had told herself that she wasn't able to bring them back, and she had learned to live her lonely life as the Dragon Queen. That was until she met Tigress.

Tigress, the daughter that she had tried to forget, was suddenly living with her. She had needed her, yes; the dragons had told her to bring the young tiger. The other masters in the Dragon Palace had been satisfied, and she was safe. But Tigress was still there. Every day she would see her child, reminding her of the family she could have had. She would see her and Jiao-Long's child, and Tigress would remind her of him. She had her stubbornness, no doubts about that.

But that had been one of those things of why it had ended up wrong. As the Dragon Queen, she was used to that everything happened the way she wanted it. But here was a tiger that wouldn't let anyone control her, much like her father. That had caused her anger, and when anger met anger things could only go wrong. Tigress had left after finding out the truth, that her new master that she feared actually was the mother who had left her.

She had been searching for her, and for each moment her daughter was gone the anger and the worry grew bigger. Tigress was her daughter, and she belonged with her. No one had the right to keep her daughter away from her. And when she wasn't in the Jade Palace, then there was only one place she else could be; with her father. She knew that Tigress wanted to find out more about her past; since the moment when she had met her in the Jade Palace she could see that she would do anything to find out who she was. But the thing that Tigress hadn't known was that the person from her past had been just in front of her.

She had found the missing daughter on her way to Jiao-Long. Tigress had said her final goodbye, telling her that she didn't want her in her life. She understood it; after first leaving her, then scaring her off, she couldn't expect being forgiven. Seeing her daughter leaving, she couldn't resist the urge to see the tiger she had loved. 'Had' was maybe the wrong thing to say. Honestly, she didn't really know her feelings. Since he had left her, she hadn't loved anybody else. She knew that much. But still, she knew it was the wrong thing to see him again. He was the leader of the Shadow Warriors and she was the Dragon Queen. It would just be wrong.

But she had ignored all the warning that her brain had told her, and had knocked on his door. He had opened and he had talked. Nothing had gone wrong. Yet.

Were the feelings she was having now wrong? Should she go now and save both his and her own life? She knew that if anything happened they would come, and they wouldn't hesitate with destroying them. Together they were a threat, and the dragons didn't allow anything that could be a danger for them.

But right now, looking into his deep eyes, the fear disappeared. Didn't she deserve being loved? Didn't she deserve being able to love?

Jiao-Long knew the consequences, and he wasn't scared. He just waited for her to take her decision. Twenty-five years…

And suddenly without thinking, she pressed her lips against his. He returned the kiss, and she didn't pull away. When they finally let go, Mei-Hua's eyes were shining with hope. She was done being a coward, and then they could punish her as much as they want; she didn't care.

"They are coming." She told him mostly just to let him know what would happen. But he didn't seem to care either. In the same moment a furious roar, almost like thunder, made the ground shake. The two tigers were still in each other's arms when the stone began to fall from the ceiling.

* * *

><p>Tigress was in her way down of the mountain when the earth started to shake. She had just heard the thunder, but there had been no lightning. As a try to protect herself from falling, she went down on all fours, her claws trying to dig into the frozen earth and rock.<p>

Just as the earth stood still again, Tigress' ears caught a new sound. Turning her head, her eyes widened as she saw big boulders rolling towards her. The rocks must have loosened themselves from a cliff, but Tigress didn't think further about it as she realized that she had to move or she would be killed.

Snapping out of her trance, Tigress started to run as fast as she could. Avoiding the few, little trees that were in her way, her golden eyes searched for an escape. Finally, she spotted a cliff high enough to get her to safety. Jumping, her paws grabbed the edge and she pulled herself up, just as the boulders continued their way under her.

Panting, wide-eyed and with snow covering her fur, Tigress backed away from the edge. Unfortunately, the stone under her paws crumbled, and Tigress found herself falling down in a crack in the cliff. The fall was short, but the sharp edges of the rocks managed to cut her skin and fur. Just as her body met the ground, Tigress felt a pain in her head and her vision became dark.

* * *

><p><em>Tigress found herself in the front of the door that led to her father's house. But something was wrong. Where the door should have been there was instead a bunch of rocks, making it impossible to come inside. Everything was silent and Tigress got the feeling that it was worse inside than outside. Her father… <em>

_Before Tigress could do anything the furious roar sounded again. But this time the tiger could see who the sound belonged to. A long serpentine creature was crawling down of the mountain towards her. Its four legs were equipped with sharp claws and as it sneered, Tigress could see its fangs. _

"_Peoples says that they are living in another world, but sometimes they visit ours, but only when it necessary." Enlai's words were like an echo as Tigress realized that the creature was a dragon. To be more precisely; a furious-looking dragon. _

_Just as the dragon leaped towards her, Tigress turned her back to it as a try to protect herself from its claws. Before her world turned black she felt a hot pain on her shoulder. _

Tigress opened her eyes, but could only see darkness. After some seconds she understood that it was night, and that she was lying on some rocks after the fall from the cliff. Her head was pounding after its meeting with a rock, but she could handle it. Tigress slowly stood up, but fell back on her knees as she felt a sharp pain. Eyes widened, she touched her left shoulder, and when she brought her paw back in front of her face she could see that her palm was covered in blood.

* * *

><p>AN: Finally done! This had been the hardest chapter to write! I wanted to show you a new side of my OCs, but I didn't want them to be out of their character… Hope, I did it well. Oh, and if you are confused about what happened in the end of the chapter, then I can say that you will get an explanation in the next chaps.


	19. Silent Tears

A/N: Wow! Once again I am stunned of how many reviews those story how gotten! I am so grateful! Thank you so much!

Oh, I am so glad for the many positive reviews about my last chapter. I was very nervous for how you would think about it, and I can honestly say that I didn't expect people to be so positive about it!.

Can't we just go on to the story now? Nope, cuz I haven't said that I don't own Kung Fu Panda. Okay, that was it! Let's start the story!

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Silent Tears **

Tigress fought her way through the snow, ignoring the deep pain in her shoulder. "It's just a scratch, just a scratch." The tiger kept telling herself, not knowing if the words actually were coming out of her mouth. Her wound was still bleeding, and it just didn't seem like the blood would stop flowing. Tigress had searched through her bag and had found a blanket. Tearing a part of it off, she had used it as a bandage. Though, it wasn't going to last long.

With a gentle paw, she had tried to examine her shoulder. After what she could feel then she had four, parallel wounds, like someone had clawed her. Again, the image of the dragon flashed in front of her eyes. Tigress tried to convince herself that it had been the rock that had cut her when she fell down in the cliff, but she knew that it was unrealistic. But still, dragons…

Enlai had told her that they were alive, and that was a reason to believe that it really had happened. Her father, Jiao-Long, was he then dead? She had seen the how the door had been blocked by stone, like the mountain had buried the house. If he still was in there… Then Tigress wouldn't be able to help him. Right now, walking was hard enough so there was no way that she would be able to move rocks.

A wrong step led Tigress to fell on her knees and she groaned in pain. Dizziness was already grabbing her head, and she had close her eyes for a moment to see clear again. She needed help, and she needed it now. Loss of blood was dangerous and especially when she was out in the cold alone. If she passed out…

No! She _would_ make it back to the Jade Palace. She _would_ see her friends again. She _would _survive. She _had_ to.

Tigress forced her body to get up and continued her way down of the mountain. Every step caused her pain, and her vision started to fail her, black spot appearing. She didn't even realize that she had fallen again, until the snow seeped through her clothes. The tiger tried to get up, but her body wouldn't obey. Her breathing became slower and her eyelids heavier, like she was falling asleep.

A small whimper escaped her mouth as she realized how she had failed her real master, Shifu. She was going to die without him knowing how sorry she was. If she just could apologize, telling him that she had realized her mistake. But now she couldn't. She was doomed to die slowly and alone, no one knowing where she was. Maybe someday someone would find her body, maybe the Shadow Warriors. If she just had found them first…

The pain was gone now, her whole body was numb. She weakly felt some warmth on her shoulder and back, and Tigress realized that the blood must have seeped through her bandage. Not that she could do anything about it now.

Sleep. The thought was calming; she was just so tired. Tigress wished that Mei-Hua never had found her, that she right now was lying in her own bed, safe and surrounded by her friends. But she wasn't. Her friends were far away and there was no way that she could find them now. They would never know the truth, that she was truly sorry.

All her regrets caused her to sigh and tears to for and her eyes. "I'm sorry." She tried to whisper, but her lips wouldn't move. No one had heard her, it was useless.

Just as started to lose her consciousness, Tigress weakly heard someone call her name. She recognized the voice, but wouldn't believe it. She couldn't be saved now, she wasn't that lucky. The last thing she felt was some warm, strong arms lifting her limp body.

"Enlai?" Her voice didn't work, but the question was clear in her mind. With his name in her thoughts, Tigress fell away into darkness.

* * *

><p>Warmth. That was the first thing that Tigress felt. She tried to open her eyes, but found out that she couldn't, she was too weak. Something or rather someone lifted her head and she felt something cold pressed against her lips.<p>

"Drink." A voice demanded, and Tigress managed to open her mouth a little. Cold liquid was poured down her throat, slowly so she wouldn't choke. Her head was laid down again on something so soft that Tigress understood that it was a pillow. Where she was, she didn't know, but it felt safe.

With that feeling, Tigress allowed herself to sleep again. Though, just before she drifted off into dreamland, she heard a familiar voice. His face appeared in her dreams, but it didn't bothered Tigress. Enlai wasn't an enemy, but her rescuer.

* * *

><p>"Master Tigress?" It was the voice that woke her up. Tigress fought her way back to consciousness, and opened her eyes with a strength she didn't know she had.<p>

Her vision was blurry, but after some short time everything came into focus. Suddenly, a face came into sight as a person leaned over her. Tigress' whole body tensed, and tried to sit up. She had realized one thing; this person wasn't Enlai.

"Easy. Slow down." The deep voice told her, and she felt gentle hands pressing her down again.

"Who… Who are you?" Tigress hated how weak she sounded, but forming the words was hard. It felt like her lips were frozen and her tongue swollen.

"The name's Tung. Pleasure to meet you, Master Tigress." The ox answered with a deep but soft voice. He briefly reminded her of Master Storming Ox, but again Tigress had to tell herself that she was far away from anyone she knew.

"Where…"

"You are safe here, Master Tigress. I took some time to get you warmed up again and you had already lost a lot of blood, but I am sure that you will be fine in a couple of days." He told her, and grabbed the corner of the blanket the tiger had shaken off when she had sat up. The ox gently put in back on her, carefully not touching the bandage that was covering her left shoulder. "You'll just have to rest."

Tigress glanced at her rescuer. He seemed so humble, and she couldn't imagine that he was a kung fu warrior. No, he was more like the family father, that would be playing with his kids. Then why was he living on the mountain alone? Though, Tigress wouldn't attack him with such questions now. He had saved her life, and he deserved more than that. "Thank you."

Tung smiled warmly to her. "No problem." Then he left the room, but shortly returned with a bowl of warm soup. "Can you sit?" With his help, Tigress managed to get into a comfortable position, pillows supporting her back. Her arms felt heavy, but Tigress forced them to hold the bowl.

"How long have I been out?" The tiger asked as she started to eat the soup. Tung that had taken place on a chair next to her shrugged his shoulders.

"About a day I guess." He pointed at her shoulder with a hoof. "How did you get that? Your wound?"

"I… I fell." Tigress said, her eyes serious as a try to protect her lie. Tung looked suspicious, but didn't ask further. "Why did you do it?" Tigress suddenly asked. "Why are you helping me?"

"You are Jiao-Long's daughter." He answered, and Tigress had to choke a gasp.

"You… How do you know?" Tigress demanded, stunned by the ox's knowledge.

Tung shrugged his shoulders. "It's not that hard. I've met Jiao-Long and the Shadow Warriors often comes here. I know things that normal villagers don't know."

"The Shadow Warriors comes here?"

"I live on their mountain. I know that they are not as dangerous as people think they are; for me they are just boys. When they comes by they get some food and rest, and I get to hear about what's happening in the world around me." Tung told her with his deep voice.

"So my…. Jiao-Long knows you?"

"My father's father built this house. The Shadow Warriors has known my family in a long time." Tung paused for a moment. "They know that I am not a threat, and I enjoy their company. It's not funny being alone here." He yawned and rose from his chair. "I believe you should try and sleep again, Master Tigress. We can talk further tomorrow. Just call me if you need anything."

Tigress sent him a grateful smile as he picked up the now empty bowl. Tung blew out the candle and the room became dark. "Sleep well, Master Tigress."

At the sound of his words, Tigress' body tensed up. She wasn't really sure why; the words weren't threatening. Actually, they were exactly the opposite. They were soft and comforting, and for the first time in long time Tigress felt that everything was going to be alright. Her wound was bandaged, her body was covered in a blanket and she was safe. Tung would help her, and as soon as she was ready she would start the travel to the Jade Palace.

And then suddenly, the happy thoughts were gone. Her parents… If she had been injured by the dragon, was her father then dead, crashed by the rocks? Tigress felt cold and her stomach was twisting. He couldn't… He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. Maybe she hadn't really wanted him as her father, but still she couldn't change the fact that she actually was his daughter. She didn't want… He had to be alive, he just had to be.

Then what about her mother? Where was Mei-Hua now? Tigress had experienced the dangers after the ground had shaken. If her mother hadn't been fast enough… No! They couldn't be dead! They were both so strong, so powerful. They couldn't…

Overwhelmed by the emotions, Tigress felt her body shake as a sob left her mouth. "You can't do anything about it. You can't help them. It isn't your fault." With those sentences she tried to comfort herself. Though her eyes burned, Tigress made sure that no tears would fall. She had to be strong. Her goal was to come back to the Valley of Peace, and then she must not think about anything else. She hadn't wanted to see them again, so why feel like this now? Doing her best to clear her brain, Tigress tried to fall asleep. But the rest seemed so far away, and there would go long time before she would reach it. Tigress felt little here in the strange place, and the world so big.

Why does thinking about someone you don't want in your life hurt so much?

* * *

><p>"And you are sure about this?"<p>

"We haven't found anything that could prove it wrong. If I hear more then I'll let you know." There was a pause before the unknown voice spoke again. "Tung, I've heard rumors. Is it true?"

"I am not sure of how much I can tell you, but just leave it to me. I can handle this. Go and help the others."

There was the sound of a door closing, but then there was silence. Tigress lay in her bed and thought about the conversation, it must have been Tung and a Shadow Warrior. The rumors were probably about her; finding a nearly dead tiger in the snow was not something that happened every day. But what was the thing that the Shadow Warrior should help the others with?

The pain in her shoulder was so weak now that she could sit up of her own. Tung had probable giving the wound something so it would heal faster. Tigress was sure that she would be able to walk soon. The door opened and Tung entered the room.

"Breakfast?" The ox asked as he saw that his patient was awake. Soon he was back with some bread and water which he laid in a little table next to the bed.

As Tigress ate she noticed the frown on Tung's face. "What's wrong?"

The ox sighed. "There are problems. There will go long time before the Shadow Warriors will calm down again."

"What happened?" Even though she just had asked, Tigress felt like she already knew the truth.

Tung scratched his head. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Master Tigress, but Jiao-Long has died."

Suddenly, Tigress mouth was dry, her tongue stuck. She couldn't say anything, and for a short moment, black spots covered her vision like she was going to faint.

"Master Tigress?"

"I knew… I knew." Tigress murmured. He hadn't wanted her, so why was she feeling this sorrow? She had seen the destroyed building, she had figured it out. So why was it still a shock? Was it the fact that she for the first time heard the words? "Mei-Hua… She was there, wasn't she?" Tigress wasn't sure of how she knew it, but something told her that she was an orphan again.

There went long time before Tung answered. "Yes, they believe so. They found Jiao-Long's servant walking around in the cold. He told them that she had arrived to talk with Jiao-Long. No one has seen her leaving the house."

Her body was shivering, her eyes burning. She wanted to sleep, just sleep and then when she woke up everything would be okay. But Tigress knew that it was impossible. This was real, and she had to face it.

Tung laid his hoof on the top of her paw as a try to comfort her. A part of Tigress wanted to pull away, showing him that she was fine. But right now she couldn't.

"Here." The ox had turned around to grab something that he now handed to the tiger. Tigress looked at it and saw a picture with two oxen; Tung and a female. "She was my wife. I lost her many years ago to a horrible sickness. Shut myself away after that. We had talked about moving to a nearby village, but when she was gone I just couldn't do it. Remind myself of Jiao-Long on that way. We both decided to live alone on a mountain after we lost the one we loved. Now I only have the Shadow Warriors as company."

After his speech, Tigress was silent. Tung was living nearly alone and yet he still took time to comfort others. He had survived, even though it was hard. "I… I'm sorry."

"Listen, I know it's hard, but you have to understand that they are dead and you are alive. They would want you to continue your life, wouldn't they?"

"Can… Can you please leave me alone? I want to sleep." Tigress said with a little voice, eyes focusing on the blanket.

Tung didn't say a word, but put the picture back on its place and left. Tigress returned to her lying-position, staring into the wall. Slowly, without her even noticed it, tears started to fall from her eyes.

The great Master Tigress, the kung fu warrior people had said couldn't feel, was now crying. She cried for Jiao-Long and Mei-Hua's destinies. She cried for Tung's wife. She cried for those who were dead and she cried for those who were left behind.

* * *

><p>Slowly, but sure Tigress made her way out to the kitchen where Tung was sitting. It felt nice to be out of bed, but the bandage made her movements more stiff. She felt guilty when she spotted the blankets on the floor; Tung had giving her his room while had had been sleeping on the floor of the kitchen.<p>

The ox gave her an unsure look, but didn't say that she should go back to bed. Tigress took place on a hair next to him. "Thanks." The one word was enough; he understood her feelings.

Tung nodded and returned to his bread. "So what's your plan?"

"I will leave to the Valley of Peace tomorrow." Tigress answered, accepting the piece of bread he handed to her.

"Your wound?"

Tigress turned her head and glanced at her shoulder. "It doesn't hurt anymore. If I am careful not to open it, then I should be fine."

"Enlai said it wouldn't bother you too much. I believe he gave it some herbs or something."

Tigress nearly choked in her bread. "En… Enlai?"

Tung raised his eyebrows. "He wouldn't leave until he was sure that you would be alright."

"He was here?" Tigress asked, eyes widened.

"It was him that found you. Didn't I tell you?" The tiger shook her head, and he continued. "I heard a knock, and when I opened the door he was standing there with you unconscious in his arms. Enlai often comes by, but he has never brought a tiger with him before." Tung chuckled a bit.

"I helped him treating your wound, and after some hours he disappeared as fast as he came. He has told me about you before so I knew who you were and which situation you were in."

"Where did he go?" Tigress asked him. Her mind was twisted; a part of him wanted to thank Enlai for saving her, another part wanted to attack him for leaving her again.

Tung shrugged. "Probably helping the other Shadow Warriors right now. After all, there are many things that need to be discussed now."

Tigress felt quiet, thinking about the information she just had gotten. If Enlai didn't want to see her then it was fine. She couldn't spill her time trying to find him. She would follow her plan and leave alone.

The ox and the tiger ate in silence. Finally, Tigress gathered enough courage and glanced at him. "I think you should do it." Tung looked at her with a confused face. "I think you should move to the village. Don't make the same mistake my father did." Tigress told him.

Tung sighed. "Maybe, but who know if I am ready to it yet?"

"You will when you have tried." Tigress answered, her golden eyes locking into his.

"Maybe…" Tung murmured, but Tigress could see that he had taken her words serious. She was nearly sure that he would do it.

Suddenly, there was a knock and Tigress flinched. After giving her a calming glance, Tung left his chair and walked towards the door. As he opened it, his massive form covered the person, but the voice was clear enough for Tigress to hear.

"I am here to talk with the tiger."

* * *

><p>AN: So, can anybody guess who the person is? Hmm… The story is nearing its end (*screams*). I think there are only about four chapters left! Well, let's just enjoy the story and wait for the next chap!


	20. The Long Road Back

A/N: And back! Funny how fast this story goes! It feels like I only just started it! Well, I can reveal that I feel so bad about ending this story that my mind has wondered about the word 'sequel'. Well, more about that in the end of this chapter.

citty darling: Well, congratulations! I wrote this chapter as fast as I could ;)

So none of you guessed who the person was (Maybe you, Avatarcatz2323, with 'Shadow Dragon'? Well, we can say that you were half right ;)). So let us reveal it! Dadada! Read the third line! And the rest of the story after that!

Nope, I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, The Long Road Back **

Tung stepped aside and let the person enter. Well, actually there was more than one person. Wang, Jie and about ten more Shadow Warriors that Tigress didn't know the name of came in. Jie immediately sent her a glance that could kill which Tigress answered with a growl. Wang stepped between them.

"No fight here."

Jie's eyes didn't leave Tigress. "Then let's go outside." He snarled.

"Jie!" The leader barked at him. "We are here to talk, not to fight. Understood?"

Tigress watched as Jie slowly backed away and found a place in the corner of the room. "And what is this talk about?" She asked, lifting her eyebrow.

Wang smirked. "About the fact that you need help. Our help."

"I do not!" Tigress snarled, remembering the not so good memories about the masked warriors.

"Then how are you going to get pass the Dragon Queen's warriors?"

"None of your business! Why helping me anyway? Aren't I just some stupid, crazy tiger?" She used the words they had called her.

"Maybe, but that's not the point." Wang crossed his arms, sending her a challenging glance.

Tigress returned it without blinking. "Then what is?"

"That you are Jiao-Long's daughter. Enlai told us about his mission." Wang explained. "We have all once giving the promise that we will serve Jiao-Long. Now when he is dead it means that we have to serve you no matter how much we are against it."

"So you are saying that I am your new leader?" Tigress asked curiously. At her words Wang made a grimace full of disgust.

"I definitely didn't say that!" The Shadow Warrior scowled. "But you are Jiao-Long's daughter which means that we are bonded the protect you."

"Well, that sounds comforting." Tigress said sarcastically. "Then what are you going to do."

"We'll make sure that the Dragon Queen's warriors will leave your little valley. It has been a long time since we last have been in a real fight. I am sure we all are going to enjoy it." Some of the Shadow Warriors nodded in agreement.

"And after we have finished the battle?" Tigress asked, feeling more and more glad about Wang's suggestion.

"Then you'll go back to the Jade Palace and we'll go back our mountain. Do we have a deal, tiger?" He held out his paw, waiting for Tigress to agree.

There didn't go many seconds before Tigress shook it. "We have a deal."

"Your wound." He pointed at her bandage. "Will it be a problem?"

"No, I am fine. When will we start the travel?"

"Tomorrow. Make sure that you are ready." Wang turned around and gave the others a sign that told them that it was time to leave. Jie glanced angrily at Tigress, before disappearing with the others.

Tung closed the door behind him. "What did you do to make Jie hate you?" The ox turned back to Tigress, his face both amused and worried.

Tigress shrugged. "Tell me if you finds out. Apparently I am the enemy that only tells lies."

"Don't you let him bother you. Jie is just too suspicious. Give him some time and he will be fine."

"Hopefully." Tigress murmured darkly. "Do you think they can win? With my wound I don't know if I can help them and I don't want them hurt."

"Don't you worry, Master Tigress. The boys are good fighters, Jiao-Long has taught them well. Everything will be fine." The ox comforted her.

The tiger looked at him with big eyes. "How? How do you know? I can't remember the last time in my life where everything was fine." Tigress didn't mean to sneer, but it just happened.

"Then maybe it will be now." Tung hummed as he cleaned up the table.

Tigress couldn't hide a little smile. "Maybe…"

* * *

><p>"You're ready?" Wang asked as he saw the tiger in the doorway.<p>

"Ready." Tigress answered and walked outside. Tung glanced at her for a moment and she nodded calming to him. Sending her a last smile, Tung closed the door. The ox had said his goodbye before the Shadow Warriors had arrived. Though, Tigress knew that she was going to miss him. She comforted herself with the fact that she convinced Tung that he should move to a village. Of course she had said that the Valley of Peace was open for him, but she understood if he chose one closer to the mountain.

The first thing that Tigress noticed about the little group of Shadow Warriors was that they now all were carrying weapons. Bow, swords, axes… Each warrior had at least one of those things. Tigress herself had nothing, but it didn't really bother her. She was used to fight without weapons.

"Then let's get going." Wang ordered, and they all started to walk. Tigress chose her place in the end of the group. On that way she could avoid the warriors blaming stares.

"How many days will there go before we arrived at the Valley of Peace?"

"If you don't slow us down, tiger, then four." A warrior asked without even looking at her. Tigress sighed soundless; this wasn't really a nice company. Four days… She could handle it. She just needed to focus. When she had finished this trip then she would be at the Jade Palace. She would be back home.

"Is it really true?"

Tigress widened her eyes as she realized that someone actually what talking to her. Not with an angrily sneer, but with a friendly voice. The tiger glanced at the warrior that had lagged behind on purpose so he could talk with her. When she didn't answer, he asked the question again.

"Is it really true that you are Jiao-Long's daughter?"

"Don't you trust what you have been told?"

The warrior shrugged. "Just curious."

Tigress sighed as she looked into his big, blue eyes. "Jiao-Long was my father."

"So you are an orphan now?"

There went long time before Tigress had pulled herself together. "Yes." She avoided looking at him, and increased her speed.

But the warrior followed her. "Sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

This time Tigress wasn't able to control her curiosity. "Aren't you supposed to ignore me?" She asked, her voice bitter.

"Do you want me to ignore you?" The warrior gave back.

Tigress shook her head; no, she wanted to have someone time talk to. Just some few sentences that weren't full of hate would be enough. They had been walking all day, and now was the time to make a camp. Though, it was Wang who decided when they should rest so there could go long time before they would get a break.

"If Jiao-Long was your father, then who is your mother?"

Before Tigress could answer, a new voice did it for her. "It Mei-Hua, isn't it? I heard some of the others talk about it." The new warrior had suddenly appeared, but had obliviously listened to Tigress' conversation.

"I thought it was only rumors." The first warrior said. Because of the fact that they were masked, it was hard to see the different between them. Though, Tigress decided to call the first one Blue because of his eye color. The second she named Brown of the same reason. She wouldn't say their names out loud, but only use it in her thoughts. It would make it easier.

"Now when we are talking about it; how did it actually happen? The Dragon Queen and Jiao-Long?" Brown asked her.

She sighed. "It's a long and complicated story."

"Is it sad?" Another voice suddenly said. Tigress realized that there were more that were listening than she thought.

Blue smacked the new one in the back of his masked head. "Of course it's sad, you fool. They are both dead!"

Blue, Brown and Fool. Tigress tried to hide a smile when she thought of their names. Maybe it wasn't the most creative names, but why ask them about their real ones? They would only know each other for a few days, and it was more likely that they weren't going to talk so much with her in that time.

Fool glared at Blue. "Well, maybe it was sad before their deaths!"

"Why do you care? Afraid that you are going to cry again?" Blue mocked him.

"Hey! That happened only once and it was because I got something in my eye!"

Blue just snorted. "Of course." He rolled his blue eyes.

"And was absolutely not because you couldn't handle the thought that the girl never was going to see her sister again." Brown told him. Tigress guessed that they were either talking about a history or some poor girl they had met once.

"Just because I have a heart doesn't mean that I am weak!" Fool sneered back, and Tigress couldn't help but admire him for his courage. Though, it didn't really help him.

"We all have a heart; yours is just soft." Blue said while laughing. Suddenly, he became serious. "Uhm, what were we talking about?" He turned to Tigress who just stared back at him. She was still stunned after unintentionally hearing the warriors' discussion. They were acting like brothers who were teasing each other, and Tigress wasn't still good at such family things.

"Your parents!" Fool suddenly remembered. "How did they meet?"

"Why do you want to know?" Tigress asked him hard. Fool actually backed away a little.

"Just curious." He murmured.

"Forget it, boys. The princess doesn't want to talk about it!"

"Hey, Jie." Blue greeted him. "Why the bad mood?"

Jie just ignored his question. "Wang wants you to get the camp ready. Hurry up!" The boys quickly did what they were told; they did not want Jie's anger. "And you…" The warrior turned to Tigress who stood with crossed arms.

"Me what?"

"You will make sure that you are out of the way until we are finished."

"And what if I want to help?"

Jie snorted. "It's not us who need your help. It's you who need ours, so you better do what I say." He growled at her, but Tigress just look at him unimpressed.

"I am not out to hurt you or any of your friends." Tigress was a little unsure of using that word; Jie didn't seem like one who had tons of fiends. Though, she needed to calm him down and she hoped this was the way of doing it. "I want to work together with you."

"Just because your father was our leader doesn't mean that you are it!" Jie hissed at her, his fangs visible now.

Tigress shook her head. "I didn't say that."

Jie was silent for a moment, but then he turned his back to her. "Just stay out of the way."

* * *

><p>"Home." Tigress whispered for herself. True enough, they had finally reached the Valley of Peace. The problem; how to defeat Mei-Hua's guards. But none of the Shadow Warriors wanted Tigress to join them. They had said that she was injured and couldn't fight. Tigress wasn't going to listen to them, though. Her wound wasn't bothering her and she would be careful.<p>

A sound of rustling leaves caught her attention. Along with the others, Tigress waited for their spy to come out of the shadows. Sure enough, soon a masked warrior was standing in front of them.

"They are surrounding the whole valley. They don't seem to expect being attacked from the outside so if we split up and do it quietly, we will be able to defeat them without the even noticing it." Thee spy said, and soon the other warriors were discussing plans.

Tigress ignored them and turned directly to the spy. "What about Master Shifu and the others?"

"I heard some of the guards talk about how the lynx has threatened them to stay in the palace or they would attack the village."

Of course her friends would do anything to protect the village, but if Tigress knew them right, then they were working on a plan.

"Don't expect them to join the battle; I am pretty sure that they are full asleep right now." Then the spy left her and walked back to the others. Tigress glanced at the black sky. It was the middle of the night, so the spy was probably right. Though, it was the perfect time for an ambush.

Suddenly, nearly all the Shadow Warriors rushed away. Tigress walked towards Wang who still was there. "What's happening?"

"We're splitting up. We will begin the attack now." He said, placing his bow on his shoulder.

"And I…?"

"You are staying here. We'll tell you when it's over." With that he left the stunned Tigress.

Fool walked over to her. "Don't worry; it won't be that bad. And after all, there won't go long time before we are finished."

"What a comfort." Tigress snorted as Fool also disappeared. He, Blue and Brown had become those she had talked most to. Now she understood what Tung had meant when he said that they were boys.

But if Wang expected her to stay here then he was wrong. Tigress wasn't going to miss this fight. Leaping into the night, Tigress tried to find the others. But it wasn't as easy as she thought.

"Where are they?" She asked herself as she dropped on all fours. It went quicker than if she was just walking, even though she was limping a little because of her wound. Suddenly her ears picked up fighting noises, and Tigress increased her speed.

The tiger managed to see the Shadow Warriors fighting different species of animals, before a familiar person blocked her vision. Apparently the ambush had gone wrong and now all Mei-Hua's warriors were fighting the Shadow Warriors on one place. Tigress returned her focus to the person who was blocking her path.

"Where is Mei-Hua?" Master Lynx asked her before leaping towards her. Tigress jumped back and blocked his attack.

"Dead." She answered shortly, before starting to try and kick him. He blocked and grabbed her arm as she tried to hit him.

"How?" He hissed. Tigress flipped him over her head, but he landed perfectly on his legs. Tigress suddenly realized that he had been one of her trainers; he knew her strength and also her weaknesses. Defeating him could be hard.

Tigress dodged and blocked his attacks as he jumped at her again. "The dragons."

"So it's true…" Master Lynx murmured to herself. Then in a flash he leaped at Tigress and kicked her in her side. The tiger tried her best to stop rolling, but landed on her bad shoulder. The pain made her body to freeze, making her vulnerable. She opened her eyes just to see Master Lynx in the air, and Tigress knew that he would hit her when he landed. But before that could happen, something slammed into the lynx.

Tigress got up and saw her rescuer. To her surprise it was Jie. Before she could thank him she noticed one of the guards, a dangerously looking leopard, was sneaking up on him with an ax in his paw. Jie was too busy fighting Master Lynx to notice it. Tigress took her opportunity; she ran towards the leopard who swung his ax down at her. She dodged and kicked it out of his paw.

Jie turned around just to see Tigress saving him. He nodded to her as a sign of respect. Tigress did the same; now they both had saved each other.

"Help the others! I'll take care of him!" She yelled at him, and surprisingly enough Jie did what she told him. Tigress turned to Master Lynx, giving him a warning growl.

"Return to the Dragon City. You are not welcomed here."

The lynx didn't answer but the flash in his dark eyes told her that he wasn't giving up. He leapt at her again, but she was ready. She blocked his attack and landed some of her owns. Suddenly he tried to grab her vest to pull her down as she had turned the other way. The result was the vest and the bandage was pulled down a little, so she now was showing her shoulder. And then Master Lynx froze.

"They let you live?" He whispered, shifting his glance between Tigress' face and her wound. Then he turned around as fast as he could and yelled to his warriors. "Retreat!" In a few seconds the Shadow Warriors and Tigress was left alone in the forest.

"What just happened?" One of the stunned warriors asked. Tigress herself didn't have the answer. She also turned to Wang as all the warriors.

"Simple. They have to follow the dragons' orders." As he saw the still confused glances he continued. "The dragons killed Jiao-Long and the Dragon Queen, but only wounded you. If they had wanted it then you would have been dead now, but they decided to let you live. And that means that the Masters of the Dragon City can't hurt you." He explained to Tigress.

"So they won't come back?" She asked him to make everything clear.

"I don't see why they should do that." He turned to his warriors that were all fine except for some scratches. "Come on, boys. As fast as we get back home as better." But before they could go, Tigress was blocking their way.

"I just want to say thanks. Without you I would probably not have gotten back to the Jade Palace. I am truly grateful." She bowed to them, and after Wang had bowed back they all did. "If you ever are going to need my help then write."

Wang smiled at her. "Keep dreaming, tiger." Then he left, the Shadow Warriors following him. Tigress stared at them long enough to hear Fool and Blue's conversation.

"So it's over now?"

"Yes."

"And we won?"

"Yes."

"Then why aren't we cheering?"

And after to second loud yells of joy destroyed the night's silent. Tigress smiled for herself, but then she realized that she had more important things to do than staring into the forest. She turned around and started running towards the Jade Palace.

Tigress was finally close to home.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, we leave it here! And just to make it sad; I only think that there is TWO chapters yet (and one of them is an epilogue)! Though, I have something important to say!

**PLEASE READ THIS!** Hope that caught your attention ;) Well, let's get to the point. Since this story is nearing its end, I have considered writing a sequel. Though, before I decide it I want to see how many there will follow the story to the sequel. So anybody who wants me to write the sequel please say it, either by a review or pm me! I won't write if no one will read it and a probably have a lot of ideas to other stories, so please tell me your opinion! I will tell you what I decide in the next chapter. Thank you!


	21. Open Doors

A/N: *holds up hands* Okay, okay! With an incredible bunch of reviews I have decided to *the weird drum-sound begins to make the tension* **I am going to make the sequel!** Not that it was a big problem (I just didn't know if I should make another Kung Fu Panda story or make a sequel to this). Though, I have already found out what the sequel is going to be about. You will find the summary in the end of this chapter.

Thank you for all of your reviews and support!

Nope, I still don't own Kung Fu Panda.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Open Doors **

Tigress opened her mouth, but then closed it again. It just seemed… Stupid. The tiger had finally climbed the stairs that led the Jade Palace and now she was standing in front of the Hall of Warriors. What should she do now? She had been gone for so long and now she just expected to be welcomed with warm arms?

Would she have done it? If someone had betrayed her would she then have forgiven them? No, she wouldn't. Her heart was too hard. Sighing, she turned around and sat down on the top step of the chairs. How could she expect something that she didn't even self was able to?

Her friends were probably fast asleep, not knowing that she was so close, just outside… If she left now, then they would never know that she had been here. Mei-Hua's guards were gone now, they were all free. She could leave and find some place to live, a place where no one would find her. The failure Master Tigress would never been seen again.

It would be easier than facing to problems. Than facing her friends' anger. Than facing Master Shifu's disappointment. It would just be easier.

Tigress' ears moved slightly as they picked up the sound. It was way too familiar that Tigress didn't dare to believe it. Though, it was pretty possible. She recognized the voices but couldn't hear the words. She slowly walked towards the door as if she was in some sort of trance. She stopped shortly but now she was full aware of the fact that it was her friends' voices she could hear. They were just in there, so close…

_Betrayer. Liar. Coward. How dare you call them your friends? You left them. You turned your back to them. You didn't write back. You ignored them. You don't deserve them. Betrayer... _

Her mind was working against her; the words hurt her as if they had stabbed her. Her lungs didn't work, her throat was hurting, her eyes were burning and her body weighted hundred thousand kilos. She couldn't move, she wasn't strong enough.

She was weak. She couldn't do this. All she wanted was to make things right, but again she had failed. Or had she? Had she even got the chance to make everything right? No, but if she just opened the door she could get it. If she was brave enough then she could give it a try. If she just ran away then she would never even have the chance.

Tigress wouldn't let herself be a coward. She would take the chance. She would face the problems. With her voice still unable to work, Tigress lifted her paw and knocked on the door. Immediately everything became quiet. The tiger guessed that her friends hadn't expected anyone to come on this time of the night, and maybe they believed that she was one of the guards.

Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, Tigress opened the door. The entire hall was covered in darkness, there was no light, no sounds, it was empty. But Tigress refused to believe it. She was sure that she had heard her friends, they must just be hiding. Before Tigress could open her mouth to call their names, something very heavy tackled her.

"Take this you stupid, little, annoying guar… Tigress?"

With the moonlight shining through the open door, Tigress could see two green eyes looking down of her. Po was holding her by the shoulders, pushing her down on the floor. His grip was tight and Tigress was starting to feel uncomfortable. After the fight with the guards Tigress had fixed her bandage and vest, but now it was starting to hurt again. Po was frozen, too shocked to notice that she was in pain.

"Po… My shoulder." She managed to say out through clenched teeth.

First then the panda the white bandage that was under her vest but visible some places. He let go of her as if he had been burned. "Sorry, I didn't know you were injured. We thought that you were a…. Wait! You are back! How did that happen? How did you…?"

"Po, what's going on down there?" Tigress glanced at the ceiling as she heard the voice she recognized as Monkey's.

"It's alright, guys. Just come down. I think there is something you'll like to see." Po gave her a giant smile and soon his entire face became visible as the light came back. A few sounds were heard, and then four persons came out form there hiding places and walked towards the happy panda.

"Po, what are you…" Mantis didn't finish the sentence. He, Crane, Monkey and Viper was now staring at Tigress with big eyes. Tigress herself just stared back, not knowing how to greet them.

"Sister?" Viper whispered as she slithered closer. Tears were starting to fill the snake's eyes, but she didn't blink them away. She just stared at Tigress as if she had seen a ghost.

Tigress slowly nodded to answer the unsaid questions. Yes, she was back. Yes, she had missed them. Yes, she was sorry.

Viper let out a gasp and threw herself at the tiger. She curled her body around her friend and hugged her tight. Tigress hugged back the best that she could (hugging a snake isn't always easy), but after some time it became too much. "Viper, I actually need air."

"Well, look who decided to visit us." Mantis snickered but Tigress could see that he was happy as well. Before anyone could react Tigress had captured the rest of the Five with her arms, hugging them all.

"What have you done to Tigress?" Monkey joked still in her embrace along with the others who still were too stunned to speak.

"Left her in the snow." Tigress replied, playing along.

"Group hug!" Po exclaimed and joined them by hugging Tigress from behind. The tiger grunted in pain as the panda again touched her already sore wound.

"Po, my shoulder. Again."

"Oh, sorry." He let go of her and the others did the same.

Mantis jumped carefully up on her injured shoulder. "What happened to you? Got into a catfight?"

Tigress sighed. "Long story."

"I think we all deserve to hear it." Crane told her, glancing at her with deep eyes. The others stood behind him, also wanting to hear what had happened.

"Yeah, it's not like we have heard anything in a long, long time." Mantis said causing them all to give her blaming glances.

Tigress felt like her body was sinking, and her glance were only focused on the floor. What could she say? Why should they listen? Suddenly, she felt a paw being placed on her good shoulder.

"Hey, calm down, guys. I am sure that Tigress has a good explanation." Po told them, eyes serious but still gentle.

"We didn't say that she hasn't, Po. We just want to hear it." Viper said, and went back to wait on Tigress to start talking.

But the tiger didn't say a word. She just stared at the ground too ashamed to meet their eyes.

"Tigress?"

"I'm sorry." She whispered and finally looked up a little. The others chocked a gasp when they saw the hurt in her eyes. Something was definitely wrong. "I just didn't know what was happening to me."

"Well, you are back now. And you are not going to leave again, right?" Mantis asked her from the floor.

"If Master Shifu allows me to stay then I will."

"We should go and call him. I'm sure he will be glad to see you again!" Po exclaimed and started to run towards the open door. Though, when a person entered the hall the panda stopped. When you speak of the devil…

"What's going on in here?" The red panda demanded as he came limping towards them.

"Master Shifu! We…"

"If the guards caught you…"

"Master Shifu!"

"What, panda?" Master Shifu's mood wasn't the best after being awakened in the middle of the night and now his student kept interrupting him.

Po stepped aside and Tigress who had been using the panda as a shield now became visible. When Master Shifu saw her he nearly dropped his staff. "Tigress?"

In a second Tigress was on her knees, bowing for him in the most humble way. She didn't even dare looking up to meet his eyes, but kept staring at the floor. "Master Shifu." She would usually just have called him 'Master' but again her brain reminded her of that he wasn't her master anymore. Mei-Hua was… But now she was dead and Tigress had no one. She was alone.

"I know that I have absolutely no right, but I am here to beg you for forgivingness. What I did was wrong and I am truly ashamed of myself. Please accept my apologies."

"Tigress…"

"If you ask me to leave then I'll do it. I just wanted to tell you all how sorry I am. I don't deserve…"

"Tigress." Shifu voice was soft and Tigress had to look up when he laid a gentle paw on her shoulder. "You are always welcomed in the Jade Palace."

The tiger let out something that sounded like a gasp mixed with a sob. "You know?" She asked finally meeting his eyes.

"We don't have to talk about it now." He gave a wise smile as if he already knew what she was thinking.

"So she can stay?" Mantis asked from Monkey's shoulder.

Master Shifu smiled to them. "If she wants."

"Thank you, Master." Tigress glanced questioningly at him to make sure that she it was alright.

Shifu shortly nodded to her, and she sighed and relief. The red panda turned to the others. "Mantis, can you help me check Tigress' wound?"

The insect nodded and they all started to leave the hall. Tigress found herself surrounded by friends who supported her. She was truly home again.

* * *

><p>"Can you please tell what caused you these?" Shifu gently ran his fingers down along the four healing wounds. He did it gently, but Tigress still flinched a little.<p>

"You wouldn't believe me if I said it." The tiger replied. Suddenly, she felt how her master froze. "Master…?"

"Did Mei-Hua do this?" Shifu's voice was calm but if you listened closely you could sense the anger that was lying under the surface.

Tigress shook her head. "No. No! She didn't do such things…" Her paws began shaking for reasons she now even self understood. The whole room became cold and she felt like she was going to throw up.

_You let them die. They were buried by rocks while you get away with only a scratch. You didn't even go back to check what had happened. You let them die while you were allowed to live… _

"She's dead." Tigress quietly said. "They are both dead."

"Who?" Viper asked while curling herself around the tiger's paw. It was clear that her friend needed comfort.

Tigress looked up. "My parents."

"You mean Mei-Hua isn't coming back?" Po asked her. She still hadn't gotten the time to tell them about her adventures, so they didn't know about the deaths on the mountain.

But Tigress didn't answer him. Instead you turned to Shifu. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew who Mei-Hua was so why not warning me?"

Master Shifu looked slightly shocked by the question. But after short time he made his decision; she deserved some sort of answer. "Would you have believed me?"

"Probably not." Tigress turned back to Po. "You were right all from the beginning, Po. Mei-Hua was more than just a master."

The panda was obviously proud of the fact that Tigress just had given him right. "Nah, it wasn't that hard to see. You look just like her! Well, looked…" But he then realized his mistake as he saw Tigress pained expression. "But we first, you know, believed it for real when Master Shifu told us. So she didn't mention the family-thing for you?"

"I had to find out of it by myself. First then she started to speak."

Crane joined the conversation. "You said 'parents'. Does that mean…?"

"That I found my father? Yes." There was a stunned silence before she continued. "His name was Jiao-Long, the leader of the Shadow Warriors."

"Jiao-Long?"

"Shadow Warriors?"

"Leader?"

Master Shifu cleared his throat. "Maybe it's about time for you to tell your story."

* * *

><p><em>Laughter. Not the hard, cold and taunting one she had heard in the orphanage. No, it was warm and soft; it was true. Faces that were smiling. Not full of fear or disgust. The faces… The stripes… The golden eyes… She knew them. It was like an old familiar scene from somewhere she didn't know. Her parents were smiling down to her, and she stretched her little arms out to greet them. <em>

_Her mother reached down and gently stroked her cheek. She giggled back and made out some few baby sounds that no one could get words out of, but they still understood the meaning. She was happy and they were happy. Everything was what it should be. _

_A calming humming started as her mother quietly song a lullaby for her. Her father stood behind her, and they both looked down at their cub. She smiled back, but then the thunder began. _

_It was loud, too loud for her little ears. She shrieked for her parents' help. The lullaby stopped. Her parents just stared at her, their faces a blur. Then the stones fell down, burying them. _

_And Tigress screamed. _

She woke up with a gasp, her body shaking. A loud thunder was heard, and the tiger made herself even smaller. "_It's just a nightmare, just a nightmare." _

"Tigress?"

A lighting filled her room with light for a short moment, just enough for her to see Shifu standing beside her bed. "Master?"

The red panda looked troubled as if he didn't know if he should leave or stay. But when he looked down at the tiger he had already made his decision. Tigress was right now vulnerable, something that he hadn't seen her like in long time. "I owe you an apology."

Tigress widened her eyes. "For what, Master?"

Shifu sighed and looked away shortly. "I could have prevented this. I could have refused Mei-Hua's orders."

"It wouldn't have mattered. She would have taken me by force."

"Perhaps." In long time silence was only disturbed by the thunder that became louder and louder.

Tigress sat up, hugging her knees. "Is it wrong for me to feel this way? They didn't want me as their child, but yet I wish that everything had ended different." She glanced at her master, her eyes big and deep.

"I believe that there are a lot of things that we will never know about them. But one thing is sure; the bond between a child and its parents is a very strange but strong bond."

The tiger searched for something in his eyes. "_Do we have that bond?"_ She asked him without any words. He looked back, and in that moment Tigress knew the answer. Yes, they had. Maybe it was too little for others to see, but there still was a bond. And if they just worked on it then it only could become stronger.

"I will suggest you to go back to sleep again. The others will be disappointed if you aren't ready for tomorrow." Shifu told her. True enough, her friends had decided to hold a little party at Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop to celebrate her being back.

"Yes, Master. And thanks." She quickly added. Just before Master Shifu disappeared out of the room, he turned to her while standing in the doorway.

"It's good to have you back, Tigress." Then he was gone.

Tigress sighed happily as she lay down to sleep. How it great it felt to be back in her own bed.

* * *

><p>"I'll see who it is." Tigress told the others as she rose from her chair. She had been sitting in the kitchen with her friends talking about how today had been. Before they had reached the noodle shop, the villagers had been there to greet her. Especially the children had been happy to have their hero Master Tigress back. The dinner at Mr. Ping's had gone well. Tigress had just enjoyed her friends company while she again told them her adventure. Now it was late evening and they definitely didn't expect visitors.<p>

The truth was the Tigress now was having mixed feelings. She was so happy but yet she was scared. It was long time ago she had learned not to trust her happiness; it only meant that something bad would happen soon. The future was a mystery, and Tigress didn't know what would happen next. How long time would she be able to stay at the Jade Palace this time?

She had promised herself to not let anything come between her and her home. But still, who knew what could happen? Right now she would just enjoy her time her and make sure that this happiness would last as long as it could.

Now she had finally come back to her friends, but she remembered that they weren't her only one. Tomorrow she would write a letter to Lu Chu and Piao telling them that she was alright and back home. And of course she would tell them that the Valley of Peace was open for them.

Then there was Enlai. Viper had been pretty interested in him. Tigress knew that the snake always had been looking out for a boyfriend to her. Though, Tigress had refused even talking about it. To make sure that there would be no teasing she had told them all that Enlai was a friend and only that. Beside, Tigress didn't even know where he was. If he wanted to see her then it would be him to find her.

Tigress finally reached the end of the hall and opened the door. Her heart skipped a beat but she remained calm. Even though, she didn't want to admit it, then this was something that only made her happiness better.

The male tiger in front of her smiled to her. "I've heard that this palace needs a gardener."

* * *

><p>AN: So now there is only an epilogue back. But as I said there will be a sequel and you will hear about now!

**The Search For Golden Times: **(To anyone who hadn't figured it out then it's the name of the sequel).

Tigress finds herself in an unpleasant situation as she receives letters that tells her that she is destined to become the new Dragon Queen but also is the next leader of the Shadow Warriors. On the same time a new enemy has stepped out of the shadows. He wants power and the way to get that is by killing the great Master Tigress. Now, Tigress and her friends have to stop him, but problems just won't leave her alone.

So what do you think about that? Are you excited? Please tell me! See you in the next and last chapter of Behind The Golden Eyes.


	22. Epilogue

A/N: And the time has come… The last chapter of 'Behind The Golden Eyes'. Sad, isn't it? But at least we have to sequel to comfort ourselves with! Well, I am so much looking forward to write it!

I will like to thank everyone who has supported this story. Without you I would never had reached this far! So thanks! It has been an honor writing this story and I hope you'll all follow it to the sequel. And as a tradition for a theater-girl I will now bow for you *bows*. Thank you all!

Oh and I have some special gift for you who liked Kang. You see we haven't heard about him in a while, so I decided to bring him back in the last chapter. Let's see how his destiny is.

Sorry for the short chap, but it is an epilogue.

For the last time in this story I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**Behind The Golden Eyes, Epilogue **

"Why do you want to know?"

"Does that matter? Can't you just tell me?"

"Why do you want toknow?"

"Just curious."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Enlai!" Tigress yelled at him as he was getting too annoying. "Just tell me? Are you or are you not still one of the Shadow Warriors?"

He gave her the well-known smile. "Which answer do you want?"

"The true one." Tigress answered flatly.

"I am a gardener, a traveler, a soldier, a free soul and a lot of other things if I want." He told her as they walked.

Tigress glanced at him. "But not a Shadow Warrior?" She had to know if he was, and then he just didn't say a thing. Tigress cared about him, but he could be so annoying sometimes.

Enlai chuckled, looking at the road. "It isn't exactly a thing that you can stop being. So yes, I am still a Shadow Warrior."

That caused a sigh from Tigress. She knew what that meant. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I made a promise to protect you."

Tigress snickered. "I don't exactly remember you promising me that."

"Who said it was to you?" Enlai asked her with a mocking voice. "Your father gave me a mission; keep an eye on you while keeping you safe."

"And how did that go?" The female tiger said sarcastically.

"You are more difficult than I thought. But you are back home and breathing, so I think I am doing my job well." Enlai told her.

It was now three days since his arrival, and he had of course met the others in the Jade Palace. The others had accepted him fast, but Tigress could see that Master Shifu wasn't too happy for him. If it was the fact that he had hurt her when he had left her or just because he was the only male tiger in the Valley of Peace, Tigress didn't know. But she was pretty sure that it was a good idea to keep Enlai away from him until Shifu looked at him with gentler eyes. Which could take some time…

"I got a letter from Lu Chu and Piao today. I should greet you from them." Tigress said, mostly to change subject.

Enlai turned his head to the sky and chuckled. "And with them you mean Lu Chu."

Tigress shrugged. "It's not my fault that you made Piao hate you."

"Some people are just too soft. I mean, I nearly didn't touch him, so you can't blame me. But what did they say?"

"They have decided to stay in the Dragon Palace. They will visit us when they can, but they will like to stay where they are." Tigress couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. She had hoped that they would move to the Valley of Peace and she could help them find a house like she had done to Enlai.

"That's why it is best moving around just like I do. If you get used to stay in one place then it will be harder leaving it."

"So you are not going to stay here?"

Enlai removed his glance from the sky and looked at her. "After all you have done to help me feel comfortable here then I can't really leave, can I? Of course I'll have to go on some travels sometimes; what will the Shadow Warriors do without me?"

The two tigers reached their goal as they walked into Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop. They had been walking from Enlai's new home, a little hut in the outskirt of the valley. The male tiger had plans about keeping his job as gardener and that meant that he would like to live in the nature. What exactly he had in mind Tigress didn't know. Maybe he would sell flowers or vegetables? No matter what, then Enlai would be just fine.

"And you are sure that it's a good idea?" Enlai whispered into Tigress' ear. She knew what he was talking about; it wasn't that hard to see.

"Po told me that he was doing just fine. He gets better every day."

"So now he is only breaking five spoons at day?"

Tigress made a grimace. "You should go with ten. But the children just love him." They both glanced at the gorilla that was busy with balancing bowls of noodles while having children climbing his legs. When he saw the two felines he gave them a big but unsure smile.

Enlai held up his paw. "Hi, Kang."

When Mei-Hua had tried to find Tigress in the Jade Palace Kang had been among the guards she had brought with her. Though, Kang wasn't a warrior but a servant. So when Mei-Hua had left and the guards were surrounding the palace Kang had been on his own. While walking around in the village the girls he had once played with had found him and soon Kang had company by them. Mr. Ping had spotted them and after a short talk (with Ping mostly doing the talk) he had hired Kang as his new assistant. Now when Po was busy with being the Dragon Warrior the goose could use some help in the kitchen.

The gorilla himself was happy for his new job. Of course he wasn't cooking (yet), but was serving the customers. Po was only glad to hear that his father was now getting help, and he and Kang had grown some sort of friendship the first time the gorilla had visited the Jade Palace.

"Master Tigress! Mr. Enlai!" The goose waved at them from the kitchen. The tigers walked closer.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ping. Is the business going well?" Tigress asked with a smile, Enlai standing behind her.

"Great, just great, Master Tigress! Everything goes much faster with some extra help, isn't that right, Kang?" They all turned to the gorilla who was nodding to them with a little rabid girl hanging from his arm. Mr. Ping spread his wings out to the tigers. "You see? A natural talent!" He told them, meaning every word.

The goose turned back to his vegetables, but kept talking. "I have a message for you, Master Tigress. My son was here, well, only about ten minutes ago! He told me that if I saw you then I should tell you that Master Shifu wishes to see you."

"I guess I'll have to go then. Are you coming with me?" Tigress asked, turning to Enlai.

"I don't really have other choices, do I? I'll see you later, Mr. Ping. Good luck, Kang." He added before the two tigers left the shop. While they walked Tigress glanced at her friend. His face was serious, but his eyes were showing humor. He was still a mystery for her, but he was starting to open up. They both were.

"So what does the mouse want now?"

Tigress sighed, but didn't become angry. "He is not a mouse, Enlai, and you know it. Can't you at least try and show him some respect?"

The male tiger shrugged. "He is not my master."

"Just try and be nice. I am sure Master Shifu just wants me to join the training." They continued their walk until they reached the stairs. "Enlai, do you think that you'll be happy living here?" The question had been haunting her since he told her that he was going to stay. She didn't want to fore him living in a place where he felt uncomfortable. Friends didn't do things like that.

Enlai looked her directly into her eyes "Are you happy?"

Tigress didn't have to think much about her answer. "Yes."

"Then I am happy. But try not to miss me too much when I am gone on my trips."

The female tiger rolled her eyes. "Oh, I am going to cry my eyes out."

Enlai chuckled. "Always the sharp tongue."

Tigress smiled to him. "Always." The tigers reached the stairs and they both looked up as they try to spot the Jade Palace.

But before they started to climb them, Enlai turned to Tigress. "So does it feel good to be back?"

Her golden eyes smiled to him. "Better than you can imagine."

**The End **


End file.
